Unstable plaques have been used as a target for imaging and drug discovery, and as a model of atherosclerosis in preclinical experiments. In this Review, Pasterkamp and colleagues describe the temporal shift in the characteristics of plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome, and argue that the 'vulnerable plaque' concept might no longer be relevant to current practice.
- Gerard Pasterkamp
- Hester M. den Ruijter
- Peter Libby
