Publication

Abstract :

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries. Precise diagnosis, prevention, and targeted therapies of CVD essentially relies on our deepened understanding of the complex pathophysiology of CVD. The pathogenesis of CVD can be understood at three different levels, i.e., systems level, cellular level and molecular level. The phenotype at the systems level can be explained by changes at the cellular level, while the cellular phenotype is determined by molecular events driven by changes in gene expression patterns. Emerging evidence has unequivocally demonstrated the important role of epigenetics in the regulation of gene expression in various cell types involved in CVD. Epigenetics, by its definition, indicate heritable phenotypes resulting from changes in chromatin without altering DNA sequence. Beyond transcriptional regulation by transcription factors, the expression of genes can be controlled by, among other things, DNA methylation, histone modifications, RNA modifications, and chromatin remodeling. It has been well recognized that epigenetic regulation of gene expression is high dynamic and reversible as various writers, readers, and erasers of epigenetic modification act in concert to regulate gene expression programs related to CVD. Studies elucidating epigenetic regulations in CVD will, in turn, promote novel drug discoveries to treat CVD by targeting epigenetic modifications. In the current research topic, we have collected 5 high-quality studies which include 3 review articles and 2 research articles, which cover research advance and future direction in the epigenetic regulation of CVD, ranging from atherosclerosis to myocardial injury and remodeling.