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Atherosclerosis is marked by the buildup of inflammatory cells which narrow arteries to the point of chest pain and muscle weakness. Severe cases result in lesions and internal ruptures of arteries or even thrombosis in coronary arteries. One way that investigators are working to understand how atherosclerosis occurs and progresses is by looking at long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), strands of RNA that are not translated into proteins and which may play integral but understudied roles in cell regulation and disease progression. Through utilization of genetically modified high-risk atherosclerotic mice, a research team from Brigham and Women s Hospital identified and characterized Macrophage-Associated Atherosclerosis lncRNA Sequence (MAARS), which is expressed specifically in macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques and contributes to the progression of the disease. Results are published in