Epigenetic processes, defined as heritable changes in gene expression that occur without
changes to the DNA sequence, have emerged as a promising area of cardiovascular disease
research. Epigenetic information transcends that of the genotype alone and provides
for an integrated etiologic picture of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis because
of the interaction of the epigenome with the environment. Epigenetic biomarkers, which
include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and RNA-based mechanisms, are both
modifiable and cell-type specific, which makes them not only responsive to the environment,
but also an attractive target for drug development. However, the enthusiasm surrounding
possible applications of cardiovascular epigenetics currently outpaces available evidence.
In this review, the authors synthesize the evidence linking epigenetic changes with
cardiovascular disease, emphasizing the gap between the translational potential and
the clinical reality of cardiovascular epigenetics.
Abbreviations:
apoA-I (apolipoprotein A-I), ASSURE (ApoA1 Synthesis Stimulation and Intravascular Ultrasound for Coronary Atheroma Regression Evaluation), BET (bromodomain and extraterminal), CpG (cytosine-phosphate-guanine), CVD (cardiovascular disease), HDAC (histone deacetylase), HDL (high-density lipoprotein), LINE-1 (long interspersed nucleotide element 1), SUSTAIN (Study of Quantitative Serial Trends in Lipids with Apolipoprotein A-I Stimulation)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 09, 2014
Accepted:
April 1,
2014
Received in revised form:
April 1,
2014
Received:
January 27,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
