Macrophage-Produced Protein Plays Essential Role in Arterial Health

Scientists at the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, say they have identified a population of macrophages that coat the outer walls of healthy arteries and express a protein called LYVE-1. The researchers found that when these cells were absent, arteries accumulate collagen and lose their elasticity, becoming inflexible.The team reports that they demonstrated that the macrophages protect arteries from becoming stiff by showing that they interact with smooth m