CX3C chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) has been identified as an important adhesion molecule in migration, adhesion and recruitment of monocytes during the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (Wouters et al. 2017) CX3CR1 was validated as one of the direct target genes of miR-296-3p. Here, CX3CR1 is linked to atherosclerosis.