CGAS and atherosclerosis: In atherosclerosis, VDAC1 oligomerization on the mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilizes mitochondria, facilitating ROS leakage and cytochrome c-mediated endothelial apoptosis; this process destabilizes fibrous caps by activating MMPs via mtDNA-cGAS-STING-NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, directly promoting plaque rupture [17,88].