Department of Cardiology, National University Heart Centre, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2023;197:105-134. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.01.002. Epub 2023 Feb 8.
Conrad Waddington's epigenetics landscape has provided a metaphorical framework for how cells progress from undifferentiated states to one of several discrete, distinct, differentiated cell fates. The understanding of epigenetics has evolved over time, with DNA methylation being the most studied epigenetic modification, followed by histone modifications and non-coding RNA. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are leading contributors to death worldwide, with the prevalence of CVDs increasing across the last couple of decades. Significant amount of resources being poured into researching key mechanisms and underpinnings of the various CVDs. These molecular studies looked at the genetics, epigenetics as well as the transcriptomics of various cardiovascular conditions, aiming to provide mechanistic insights. It has paved the way for therapeutics to be developed and in recent years, epi-drugs for the treatment of CVDs. This chapter aims to cover the various roles of epigenetics in the context of cardiovascular health and disease. The following will be examined in detail: the developments in basic experimental techniques used to study epigenetics, the role of epigenetics in various CVDs (hypertension, atrial fibrillation, atherosclerosis, and heart failure), and current advances in epi-therapeutics, providing a holistic view of the current concerted efforts in advancing the field of epigenetics in CVDs.
康拉德·沃丁顿的表观遗传学景观为细胞如何从未分化状态进展到几种离散的、独特的、分化的细胞命运提供了一个隐喻框架。随着时间的推移，对表观遗传学的理解也在不断发展，其中 DNA 甲基化是研究最多的表观遗传修饰，其次是组蛋白修饰和非编码 RNA。心血管疾病（CVD）是全球死亡的主要原因，过去几十年 CVD 的患病率一直在增加。大量资源投入到研究各种 CVD 的关键机制和基础。这些分子研究着眼于各种心血管状况的遗传学、表观遗传学和转录组学，旨在提供机制上的见解。它为治疗方法的开发铺平了道路，近年来，出现了用于治疗 CVD 的表观遗传学药物。本章旨在涵盖表观遗传学在心血管健康和疾病中的各种作用。以下将详细探讨：用于研究表观遗传学的基础实验技术的发展、表观遗传学在各种 CVD 中的作用（高血压、心房颤动、动脉粥样硬化和心力衰竭），以及表观遗传学治疗的最新进展，为推进 CVD 中表观遗传学领域的当前协同努力提供了全面的视角。
