Scavenger receptor class-A plays diverse role in innate immunity, cell signaling and different pathologies

Evidences have been increasingly provided to comfirm that lipid accumulation in cells contributes to the progression of pathogeneses. The receptor-mediated lipid uptake is the crucial step for lipid retention as scavenger receptors class-A (SR-A) is not controlled via negative feedback by cytoplasmic cholesterol and therefore it plays a fundamental role in the formation of foam cells. Along with participation in apoptosis, SR-A presents very deceitful characteristics to control immune responses during age-related degenerative pathologies such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. It is henceforth undeniable that targeted inhibition of these receptors will be helpful in getting a step closer to individualized medicine. This review unfolds current understanding of SR-A signaling with a focus on its role in apoptosis and immune regulation during different pathologies.