Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 1, I-70124 Bari, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Feb 28;25(5):2775. doi: 10.3390/ijms25052775.
Fibrosis represents a process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. It often represents the evolution of pathological conditions, causes organ failure, and can, in extreme cases, compromise the functionality of organs to the point of causing death. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying fibrotic evolution and to identify possible therapeutic strategies. Great interest has been aroused by the discovery of a molecular association between epithelial to mesenchymal plasticity (EMP), in particular epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and fibrogenesis, which has led to the identification of complex molecular mechanisms closely interconnected with each other, which could explain EMT-dependent fibrosis. However, the result remains unsatisfactory from a therapeutic point of view. In recent years, advances in epigenetics, based on chromatin remodeling through various histone modifications or through the intervention of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), have provided more information on the fibrotic process, and this could represent a promising path forward for the identification of innovative therapeutic strategies for organ fibrosis. In this review, we summarize current research on epigenetic mechanisms involved in organ fibrosis, with a focus on epigenetic regulation of EMP/EMT-dependent fibrosis.
纤维化是一种以细胞外基质(ECM)蛋白过度沉积为特征的过程。它通常代表着病理状况的发展,导致器官衰竭,在极端情况下,甚至可能导致器官功能丧失,危及生命。近年来,人们在理解纤维化演变的分子机制以及确定可能的治疗策略方面做出了巨大努力。上皮间质可塑性(EMP),特别是上皮间质转化(EMT)与纤维化之间的分子关联的发现引起了极大的关注,这导致了与纤维化相关的复杂分子机制的相互关联,这些机制可以解释 EMT 依赖性纤维化。然而,从治疗的角度来看,结果仍然不尽如人意。近年来,基于染色质重塑的表观遗传学进展,通过各种组蛋白修饰或通过非编码 RNA(ncRNA)的干预,提供了更多关于纤维化过程的信息,这可能为确定器官纤维化的创新治疗策略提供了一个有前途的途径。在这篇综述中,我们总结了当前关于器官纤维化中涉及的表观遗传机制的研究,重点介绍了 EMP/EMT 依赖性纤维化的表观遗传调控。