Macrophages and T-lymphocytes express MMPs, and these cells activate MMPs synergistically. Furthermore, RANTES stimulates MMP-9 transcription, leading to the degradation of elastin fibers in the abdominal aorta. In clinical settings, persistent inflammatory activation with angiogenesis may result in exaggerated arterial plaque instability and hemorrhage. Alternatively, we speculate that the abdominal aorta is the preferential site of aneurysmal formation because adventitial inflammation may contribute to the excessive degradation of the extracellular matrix in the aortic wall. In conclusion, this study describes the age-dependent and region-specific histological characteristics of adventitial inflammation during the progression of atherosclerosis in mice. Further studies are necessary to determine whether the imbalance in the cytokine/chemokine profile in the adventitial layer is a potential target for the attenuation of atherosclerosis and aneurysmal formation. Small cell lung cancer accounts for approximately 15% of all thoracic malignancies. Patients with disease confined to the chest are treated with chemo-radiotherapy, whereas patients with advanced disease are treated with chemotherapy alone. In advanced disease, platinum-based doublet chemotherapy induces complete responses in up to 20%, whereas combined chemoradiotherapy in disease limited to the chest produces complete responses in up to 50% of patients. However, lethal recurrences within 12 months occur in almost all cases. In addition, trials of multiple cytotoxic Screening Libraries agents, dose intensification, or novel targeted therapies have failed to improve outcome over the last three decades. Accurate preclinical models and high quality tissue samples are essential for the development of new cancer therapies. Since surgical resection of SCLC is uncommon, diagnosis and biomarker studies rely heavily on samples obtained by percutaneous fine needle SAR131675 aspiration or bronchoscopic forceps biopsy. Both techniques provide precious little material for researchers, leading to a heavy reliance on conventional cell lines that may not accurately reflect the complex biological and genomic heterogeneity of the human disease.