Science AI Journal
Immunology and Microbiology · Research topic

Open research questions in Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases

104 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 256 Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Targeted research is urgently needed to unravel the interplay between CMD and CSVD, - Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanistic links between CMD and CSVD

    Coronary microvascular dysfunction: a review of its association with extracardiac organ pathologies · 2025 · DOI

  • early intervention to inhibit the development of platelets into the C6 phenotype, - further study of the 21 key biomarkers identified, - investigation of the role of platelets in inflammatory and immune responses

    Deciphering Abnormal Platelet Subpopulations in COVID-19, Sepsis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus through Machine Learning and Single-Cell Transcriptomics · 2024 · DOI

  • The relationship between coronary microvascular dysfunction and other organs and systemic diseases remains unclear. There is a need for a more integrated diagnostic and therapeutic approach. The current evidence base for the interplay between coronary microvascular dysfunction and systemic diseases is not comprehensive.

    Coronary microvascular dysfunction: a review of its association with extracardiac organ pathologies · 2025 · DOI

  • However, their role in the long-term prognosis after STEMI has not been investigated.

    Prognostic role of angiotensin-II receptor type 1 and endothelin-1 receptor type A agonistic autoantibodies in patients with acute myocardial infarction · 2025 · DOI

  • However, translation of anti-inflammatory treatments to patients with ischemic stroke has been challenging, with the first colchicine trials showing neutral or conflicting results.

    Anti-Inflammatory Therapies for Atherosclerotic Stroke Prevention · 2025 · DOI

  • The humoral immune system influences the development of atherosclerosis, but the contributions of specific memory B cell subsets and IgG isotypes are poorly understood.

    T-bet–expressing B cells promote atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice · 2025 · DOI

  • While previous studies revealed their innate function in lymphoid tissues, it remains to be determined whether blood-circulating MP cells have innate activities, and if so, what mechanisms dictate their activation and migration to extra-lymphoid organs.

    Circulating memory-phenotype CD4+ T cells rapidly accumulate in ischemic organs to exacerbate tissue injury in an innate manner 2395 · 2025 · DOI

  • However, this process remains poorly understood due to the difficulty distinguishing these endothelium-interacting cells from other blood-borne effectors with seemingly similar phenotypes.

    Decoding the fate of patrolling CD8+ T effector cells 9262 · 2025 · DOI

  • However, there remains a gap in understanding the specific pathways involved in this process.

    Unravelling the Mechanisms of Oxidised Low-Density Lipoprotein in Cardiovascular Health: Current Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies · 2024 · DOI

  • We additionally provide context on the relationship between OxLDL and aging/senescence and identify gaps in the literature and our current understanding in these areas.

    Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein and Its Role in Immunometabolism · 2024 · DOI

  • Recognizing the limited knowledge in this area, our research aims to dissect the complex transcriptional profiles of activated platelets to aid in developing targeted therapies for abnormal and pathogenic platelet subtypes.

    Deciphering Abnormal Platelet Subpopulations in COVID-19, Sepsis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus through Machine Learning and Single-Cell Transcriptomics · 2024 · DOI

  • While the strategic role of oxidative regulation in various diseases is well-established, the specific involvement of oxidative stress in atherosclerosis remains elusive.

    The relationship of redox signaling with the risk for atherosclerosis · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the mechanism of cuprotosis in heart failure (HF) has not been investigated yet.

    Integrative analysis of bioinformatics and machine learning to identify cuprotosis-related biomarkers and immunological characteristics in heart failure · 2024 · DOI

  • Inflammation is considered a key pathogenic driver of these diseases, but the underlying immune states and their clinical implications remain poorly understood.

    Multiomic analyses uncover immunological signatures in acute and chronic coronary syndromes · 2024 · DOI

  • The role of lactylation in atherosclerosis is not fully understood. There is a need for new therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis. The current diagnostic models for atherosclerosis have limitations.

    Decoding atherosclerosis through lactylation: multi-omics integration with experimental validation · 2026 · DOI

  • Technical challenges in single-cell flow cytometry studies. Limited understanding of VSMC immunophenotyping.

    Atherosclerosis Profiling Reveals BHLHE40 as a Candidate Modulator of VSMC · 2026 · DOI

  • The transcriptional programs driving VSMC transitions are not well understood. The role of BHLHE40 in VSMC phenotype switching and foam cell formation is not well understood.

    Atherosclerosis Profiling Reveals BHLHE40 as a Candidate Modulator of VSMC · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper suggests that future research should focus on the development of personalized treatment strategies tailored to individual patient profiles. The paper also suggests that future research should investigate the safety and efficacy of nanomedicine delivery systems.

    Emerging biomedical and pharmaceutical strategies for the treatment of atherosclerosis: from conventional lipid-lowering therapy to nanomedicine · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the current treatment strategies for atherosclerosis, highlighting the need for more effective and personalized approaches. The paper also notes that there is a lack of understanding of the safety and efficacy of nanomedicine delivery systems.

    Emerging biomedical and pharmaceutical strategies for the treatment of atherosclerosis: from conventional lipid-lowering therapy to nanomedicine · 2026 · DOI

  • The impact of fucoidans on the gut-host axis is unclear. There is a need to investigate the effects of fucoidan on atherosclerosis and the gut microbiota.

    Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan alone and in combination with simvastatin is associated with both alleviation of atherosclerosis and modulations in the gut microbiota and its metabolites in New Zealand rabbits · 2026 · DOI

  • The role of hypoxia signaling in SMC-derived cell growth and phenotypic modulation is unknown. Previous studies have focused on macrophages and endothelial cells, with limited understanding of the effects of hypoxia on SMC-derived cells.

    Loss of HIF1α signaling drives oxidative stress and expansion of smooth muscle cells in murine atherosclerosis · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of effective pharmacological therapies to limit aneurysm expansion remains a major clinical challenge. The functional heterogeneity of macrophages during AAA progression is not well understood.

    Efferocytosis-associated Mrc1+Gas6+ macrophages are linked to abdominal aortic aneurysm progression through ERK-associated dysfunction · 2026 · DOI

  • The role of arginase-2 in monocyte-endothelial interaction is not fully understood. The regulation of integrin and membrane receptor expression in monocytes by arginase-2 is not well characterized.

    Arginase-2 enhances monocyte-endothelial interaction through regulation of integrin and membrane receptor expression: role in atherogenesis · 2026 · DOI

  • The underlying mechanism of apigenin's effect on SASP in macrophages is not fully understood. The regulation of DOT1L in the inflammatory response induced by macrophages by LPS is not well studied.

    Targeting senescence-associated secretory phenotype macrophage: apigenin inhibits DOT1L-dependent H3K79me2 at IL1A to fight SASP in senescent macrophages · 2026 · DOI

  • Applying endothelial-focused models, multi-omics analyses, and functional vascular assessments to clarify the role of PCSK9 in endothelial dysfunction, - Proposing future strategies for cardiovascular interventions targeting PCSK9-mediated endothelial dysfunction

    PCSK9 as a Potential Regulator of Endothelial Dysfunction: Mechanistic Insights and Future Directions · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases sub-topic

This page shows what the Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Immunology and Microbiology

Immune cells in cancer
324 open questions
Antibiotic Use and Resistance
246 open questions
Psoriasis: Treatment and Pathogenesis
239 open questions
Reproductive System and Pregnancy
210 open questions
T-cell and B-cell Immunology
176 open questions
Immune Cell Function and Interaction
169 open questions
Reproductive tract infections research
167 open questions
Parasites and Host Interactions
160 open questions
104 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 256 Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.