Epigenetic regulation of PCSK9 and the onset of metabolic diseases in diverse ethnic groups
A well-known disease affecting ~ 74 million Americans is high cholesterol, as of March 2015 according to CDC reports. Of those, over 64% are African-American adults [2]. The large percentage of citizens affected by hypercholesterolemia, that leads to the most deadly disease called atherosclerosis, creates the need for a deep investigation to determine easier and faster ways to deal with the problem. To understand why a specific group of patients are affected by a serious disease, we will investigate their DNA and identify differences via DNA sequence analysis when compared to the DNA of other common patient groups. More specifically, DNA differences between AA and CA patients in the NC Triangle area will be analyzed. Identifying these key differences in the DNA could help us discover personalized ways to prevent and treat specific diseases.
