MMP8 and atherosclerosis: By generating MMP8-deficient mice, we were the first to confirm the critical role of MMP8 in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis [11], bone marrow-derived stem/progenitor cell migration and recruitment into atherosclerotic lesions [13], angiogenesis [18], vascular injury-induced neointima formation [12], macrophage differentiation and polarization [8], and adventitia stem/progenitor cell differentiation [19].