In 2018, Fan et al. evaluated the role of mammalian Target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in atherosclerosis using human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs): inhibition of mTOR decreased vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM1) expression and consequently monocyte adhesion in inflammatory condition, mimicked by the exposure of HAECs to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Here, VCAM1 is linked to atherosclerosis.