Never too late: A commentary on “Impact of age, sex and exercise on brachial and popliteal artery remodelling in humans”

Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is an enzyme critical for the stability of extracellular matrix and also known to have diverse biological functions. Little is known, however, about the role of LOX in regulating inflammation. Here we demonstrate that LOX suppresses secretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, enhancement of LOX activity reduces MCP-1 in a mouse model of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), thereby preventing macrophage infiltration and AAA progression. These findings suggest that LOX has a novel function in resolving inflammation by reducing MCP-1 in AAA.