Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of heart attack and stroke. It develops when fats and inflammatory cells are deposited in the vessel wall, forming plaques. The Steffens Lab has now identified a mechanism that has received little attention to date: a cannabinoid receptor on the endothelial cells of blood vessels. This receptor facilitates the transport of LDL cholesterol into the vessel wall, thereby promoting atherosclerosis. The study has been published in Nature Communications.