Figure 1. Impaired efferocytosis contributes to atherosclerosis.

Diseased and apoptotic cells in the growing atherosclerotic plaque are not recognized for efficient phagocytic clearance by lesional macrophages. While the mechanisms which drive this pathology are still an area of active investigation, emerging data suggests that this defect may be due to impaired ‘eat me’ (green) and ‘don’t eat me’ (red) signaling that renders these cells ‘inedible’. As a result, foam cells accumulate to promote lesion expansion and apoptotic tissue undergoes secondary necrosis to accelerate vascular inflammation and lesion instability.