MCS-18, a natural product isolated from Helleborus purpurascens, inhibits maturation of dendritic cells in ApoE-deficient mice and prevents early atherosclerosis progression.

Introduction: Inflammation accelerates both plaque progression and instability in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The inhibition of dendritic cell (DC) maturation is a promising approach to suppress excessive inflammatory immune responses and has been shown to be protective in several autoimmune models. The aim of this study was to investigate the immune modulatory effects of the natural substance MCS-18, an inhibitor of DC maturation, regarding the progression of atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice.