Similar to mφTFEB-TG mice, the effects of trehalose in vivo and on cultured macrophages in vitro demonstrate this unique disaccharide's ability to increase macrophage autophagy and autophagy–lysosomal biogenesis, to increase aggrephagy and the clearance of p62-enrich protein aggregates, to decrease macrophage apoptosis and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and to an overall reduction in atherosclerosis. The gene discussed is IL1B; the disease is atherosclerosis.