Epigenetic mechanisms in coronary artery disease: The current state and prospects

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. CAD has both genetic and environmental causes. In the past two decades, the understanding of epigenetics has advanced swiftly and vigorously. It has been demonstrated that epigenetic modifications are associated with the onset and progression of CAD. This review aims to improve the understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms closely related to CAD and to provide a novel perspective on the onset and development of CAD. Epigenetic changes include DNA methylation, histone modification, microRNA and lncRNA, which are interrelated with critical genes and influence the expression of those genes.

Source: Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine - December 30, 2017 Category: Cardiology Authors: Lian Duan, Chao Liu, Junyuan Hu, Yongmei Liu, Jie Wang, Guang Chen, Zhaoling Li, Hengwen Chen Source Type: research