Even though the link between miR-133b, Mastermind-like 1 and macrophages during the different stages of atherosclerosis need to be further explored, this study support our findings, suggesting that miR-133b is related to coronary plaques and that increasing concentrations has unfavorable effects on coronary plaque vulnerability.miRs have been explored as possible new and effective prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers of both acute and chronic CVDs10,30–37. Here, MAML1 is linked to atherosclerosis.