Atherosclerotic carotid stenosis leads to stroke, but how perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) drives plaque instability is poorly understood. Here the authors show that PVAT harbours distinct ADSC subsets, with CD55⁺ADSCs promoting plaque angiogenesis via FGF2 and CXCL14⁺ADSCs enhancing inflammation, driving plaque destabilization.
