TLR4 and atherosclerosis: Although targeting Syk is currently designed to benefit conditions with excessively upregulated ITAM-mediated responses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, asthma, lupus, etc., our findings and other reports point to the importance of Syk in regulation of TLR4 responses, particularly by host-derived ligands, and development of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis.