Inflammation and atherosclerosis - last piece of the puzzle has fallen into place Inflammation is a major component of atherosclerotic lesions and inflammatory biomarkers can be used to predict cardiovascular disease. Still, it has been unclear whether inflammation is a driving force in atherosclerosis, or merely an epiphenomenon. The recently published results of the CANTOS trial shows that treatment with canacinumab, a monoclonal antibody to the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β, led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events, compared to placebo. Thus, it establishes beyond doubt that inflammation is a treatable pathogenetic mechanism in atherosclerosis.