These mediators drive cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells towards different plaque cell types22,53 and promote necrotic core formation and plaque vulnerability in atherosclerosis.21,22 Furthermore, we detected an increased expression of Nfatc1, which controls the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells54 and promotes GvHD by amplifying the proliferation, target tissue homing, and effector functions of allogeneic donor T cells.49 This evidence concerns the gene NFATC1 and atherosclerosis.