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Review
. 2025 Apr 25:12:1550930.
doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2025.1550930. eCollection 2025.

The cGAS-STING pathway in atherosclerosis

Si-Yu Wang  1   2   3 , Yu-Shan Chen  1   2 , Bo-Yuan Jin  1   2   3 , Ahmad Bilal  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

The cGAS-STING pathway in atherosclerosis

Si-Yu Wang et al. Front Cardiovasc Med. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Atherosclerosis (AS), a chronic inflammatory disease, remains a leading contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent studies highlight the critical role of the cGAS-STING pathway-a key innate immune signaling cascade-in driving AS progression. This pathway is activated by cytoplasmic DNA from damaged cells, thereby triggering inflammation and accelerating plaque formation. While risk factors such as aging, obesity, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes are known to exacerbate AS, emerging evidence suggests that these factors may also enhance cGAS-STING pathway, which amplifies inflammatory responses. Targeting this pathway offers a promising therapeutic strategy to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of the cGAS-STING pathway, explore its role in AS, and evaluate potential inhibitors as future therapeutic candidates. By integrating current knowledge, we aim to provide insights for developing novel treatments to mitigate AS and CVD burden.

Keywords: STING inhibitors; atherosclerosis; cGAS inhibitors; cGAS-STING pathway; risk factors; therapeutic potential.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The history of cGAS-STING pathway.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic diagram of the cGAS-STING pathway activation and downstream signaling. (COP, coat protein; ERGIC, endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment; ISGs, interferon-stimulated genes).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Risk factors of atherosclerosis influence the cGAS-STING pathway.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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