The preliminary molecular mechanism-of-action studies revealed its function in lipid homeostasis and inflammation process, which indicated that the selective inhibition of SMS2 would be a promising treatment for atherosclerosis.
Sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2) is a promising therapeutic target for several chronic inflammation-associated diseases, including atherosclerosis, fatty liver, and insulin resistance.
It was reported that SMS2 KO mice displayed lower inflammatory responses and anti-atherosclerotic effects, suggesting that inhibition of SMS2 would be a potential therapeutic approach for controlling inflammatory responses and atherosclerosis.
This study sought to assess the effect of sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2) over-expression on plaque component and endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis.