TY - JOUR T1 - Targeting Foam Cell Formation in Atherosclerosis: Therapeutic Potential of Natural Products JF - Pharmacological Reviews JO - Pharmacol Rev SP - 596 LP - 670 DO - 10.1124/pr.118.017178 VL - 71 IS - 4 AU - Dongdong Wang AU - Yang Yang AU - Yingnan Lei AU - Nikolay T. Tzvetkov AU - Xingde Liu AU - Andy Wai Kan Yeung AU - Suowen Xu AU - Atanas G. Atanasov A2 - Ma, Qiang Y1 - 2019/10/01 UR - http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/71/4/596.abstract N2 - Foam cell formation and further accumulation in the subendothelial space of the vascular wall is a hallmark of atherosclerotic lesions. Targeting foam cell formation in the atherosclerotic lesions can be a promising approach to treat and prevent atherosclerosis. The formation of foam cells is determined by the balanced effects of three major interrelated biologic processes, including lipid uptake, cholesterol esterification, and cholesterol efflux. Natural products are a promising source for new lead structures. Multiple natural products and pharmaceutical agents can inhibit foam cell formation and thus exhibit antiatherosclerotic capacity by suppressing lipid uptake, cholesterol esterification, and/or promoting cholesterol ester hydrolysis and cholesterol efflux. This review summarizes recent findings on these three biologic processes and natural products with demonstrated potential to target such processes. Discussed also are potential future directions for studying the mechanisms of foam cell formation and the development of foam cell-targeted therapeutic strategies. ER -