VCAM1 and inflammatory response: In atherosclerosis, the process of chronic vascular inflammation gets significant contribution from circulating iron-containing monocytes that migrate into the sub-endothelial compartment attracted primarily by the endothelial expression of adhesion molecules like vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and chemo-attractant chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), molecules also being expressed by the activated brain endothelium in inflammatory conditions in the CNS [88–90].