Drugging the foam cell: identifying P2Y6 antagonists that limit atherosclerosis

Graphical AbstractOpen in new tabDownload slideLeveraging data from human datasets, together with mechanistic studies in cells and animals, Li et al. identified a new drug candidate for the antagonism of P2Y6 signalling in foam cells that could prevent the development of atherosclerosis. Screening of human and mouse atherosclerotic datasets suggested that P2Y6 expression in macrophages may play a role in disease progression, which was then investigated using macrophage-specific deletion of P2Y6 in a mouse model of atherosclerosis, the Ldlr−/− mouse. This led to the screening and identification of novel antagonist of P2Y6 with potential therapeutic applications.