PBMC miRNAs expressed in response to high choleterol, high fat (HCHF) diet in baboons

Blood elements (microRNAs) responds to environmental stimuli such as diet. HCHF diet is atherogenic and stimulates initiation of atherosclerosis, the primary cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). PBMCs are involved in the initiation of atherosclerosis. To retard the prevalence of CVD, it is important to identify novel therapeutic targets and reliable and accurate biomarkers of early-stage atherosclerosis. Treatment and detection of the disease at an early stage prior to advancement to a clinical stage, which is costly and life-threatening, is fundamentally important. Baboon is a well-characterized model of early-stage atherosclerosis and could play a vital role in elucidating the novel targets. The overall goal of the study is to identify coordinated networks of PMBC miRNAs and miRNA target-genes that respond to HCHF diet.