Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease resulting from subendothelial accumulation of lipoprotein-derived cholesterol in susceptible arterial segments, ultimately leading to the formation of clinically significant atherosclerotic plaques. Despite significant advances in the treatment of atherosclerosis, atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death and disabilities worldwide. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for novel therapies. Cyclodextrins are cyclic oligosaccharides produced from many sources of starch by enzymatic degradation. The frequently used cyclodextrins are α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins which are composed of six, seven, and eight glucose moieties, respectively. Especially β-cyclodextrin can entrap hydrophobic compounds, such as cholesterol, into its hydrophobic cavity and form stable inclusion complexes with cholesterol. This propensity of the cyclodextrins has been exploited to extract excess cholesterol from cultured cells, and intra- and extracellular cholesterol stores present in atherosclerotic lesions of experimental animals. Accordingly, the cyclodextrins could be considered as potentially effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of atherosclerosis. In this review, we address recent advances and the current status of the development of cyclodextrins and provide an update of the latest in vitro and in vivo experiments that pave the way to clinical studies. The emerging therapeutic opportunities by using cyclodextrins could aid us in our efforts to ultimately eradicate the residual risk after other cholesterol-lowering pharmacotherapies, and also reduce the associated burden of premature deaths due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

动脉粥样硬化是一种炎症性疾病，是由于脂蛋白衍生的胆固醇在内皮下积聚在易感动脉段中，最终导致临床上具有重要意义的动脉粥样硬化斑块的形成。尽管在动脉粥样硬化的治疗方面取得了重大进展，但是动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病仍然是全世界死亡和残疾的主要原因。因此，迫切需要新颖的疗法。环糊精是通过酶促降解从许多淀粉来源中产生的环状寡糖。经常使用的环糊精是分别由六个，七个和八个葡萄糖部分组成的α-，β-和γ-环糊精。尤其是β-环糊精可以截留疏水性化合物，例如胆固醇，进入疏水腔并与胆固醇形成稳定的包合物。已经利用环糊精的这种倾向从培养的细胞中提取过量的胆固醇，并且在实验动物的动脉粥样硬化病变中存在细胞内和细胞外胆固醇存储。因此，环糊精可以被认为是治疗动脉粥样硬化的潜在有效治疗剂。在本文中，我们将探讨环糊精的最新进展和发展现状，并提供最新信息。环糊精可以被认为是治疗动脉粥样硬化的潜在有效治疗剂。在这篇综述中，我们探讨了环糊精的最新进展和发展现状，并提供了最新信息。环糊精可以被认为是治疗动脉粥样硬化的潜在有效治疗剂。在本文中，我们将探讨环糊精的最新进展和发展现状，并提供最新信息。体外和体内实验，为临床研究铺平了道路。使用环糊精的新兴治疗机会可以帮助我们最终消除其他降低胆固醇的药物治疗后的残留风险，还可以减轻因动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病导致的过早死亡的负担。