Nuclear Receptors and Inflammation Control: Molecular Mechanisms and Pathophysiological Relevance

Tissue inflammation is a tightly regulated process that normally serves to recruit the immune system to sites of infection and injury and to facilitate tissue repair processes. When an inflammatory state is excessive or prolonged, local and systemic damage to host tissues can result in loss of normal physiological functions. Here, we briefly review recent studies that advance our understanding of signaling pathways involved in initiation of inflammatory responses at the level of transcription and counterregulation of these pathways by selected members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Studies of the intersection of nuclear receptors and inflammation have revealed mechanisms of positive and negative transcriptional control that may provide new targets for pharmacological intervention in chronic diseases, such as atherosclerosis.