Yanshuo Han
Chen Chen
Jian Zhang- 1School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
- 2School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- 3Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
Editorial on the Research Topic
Epigenetic mechanisms and epigenetic-based therapies in cardiometabolic and vascular disease
Cardiometabolic and vascular disease (CMVD) and its complications pose significant global health concerns, leading to increased incidence and mortality rates. Epigenetic regulation has emerged as a key player in CMVD, offering new insights into its pathogenesis and potential therapeutic interventions. In recent years, the role of epigenetic regulation in CMVD has gained considerable attention (Xia et al., 2019) (Davis and Gallagher, 2019). This Research Topic explores the intricate connections between epigenetic modifications, CMVD development, and therapeutic strategies. By investigating histone modifications, DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, and RNA methylation, we aim to identify novel epigenetic markers and develop targeted therapies for managing CMVD.
This Research Topic delves into various aspects of epigenetic regulation in CMVD, including specific modifications and regulators (Wang et al.) involved in its pathogenesis. It also explores the potential of epigenetic enzymes (Han et al., 2016) as therapeutic targets and highlights groundbreaking discoveries in the field. Meanwhile, examining the influence of epigenetic regulation on additional cardiovascular diseases, such as aortic aneurysm (He et al., 2021), aortic dissection (Zhang et al., 2021), and their pathogenic mechanisms. Furthermore, it examines the influence of epigenetic regulation on other cardiovascular diseases and investigates the effects of epigenetic modifications on cell phenotypes. In Xu’s review, they summarized numerous epigenetic modifications have suggested potential roles in cell phenotypes during AAA development, e.g., death and phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells, infiltration of inflammatory cells, endothelial dysfunction, and perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) dysfunction (Xu et al.). Another study analyzed the cluster specific cell phenotype markers identified in scRNA-seq dataset; they revealed high proportion of structure cells in abdominal aortic tissues in Takayasu arteritis patients by deconvolution of bulk RNA-seq dataset (Yuqing et al.).
The identification and clinical significance of risk factors associated with diagnosing and predicting CMVD prognosis are explored in this Research Topic. Yuqing et al. suggested interleukins may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of Takayasu arteritis (Yuqing et al.). Additionally, novel insights into histone modification, RNA modifications (Wu et al., 2022), and non-coding RNAs (Xu et al.) are discussed, highlighting their relevance in basic and translational research related to vascular disorders. The dysregulation of epigenetic and transcriptional processes in CMVD is examined, uncovering potential therapeutic opportunities. These dysregulations include m6A modification and its correlation with immune infiltration in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Individualized treatment possibilities based on m6A modification are also discussed. In Tian’s study, they developed a reliable AAA-related disease model for predicting immunity and m1A, m5C, m6A and m7G epigenetic regulation. Meanwhile, Tian et al. suggested that the pathogenic roles of four model RNA methylation genes, UBE2K, TMEM230, VAMP7, and PUM2, might play an important role in AAA (Tian et al.).
The contributions within this Research Topic highlight the critical role of epigenetic regulation in CMVD pathogenesis and provide avenues for targeted interventions. By deciphering the complex interactions between epigenetic modifications and CMVD, we are paving the way for personalized approaches to diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment. The knowledge gained from this Research Topic will undoubtedly contribute to improving cardiometabolic health and reducing the burden of CMVD on a global scale.
Author contributions
All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.
Funding
This study was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant number: DUT19RC(3)076 and DUT22YG107), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers: 81600370), the National Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (2023-MS-096) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grant number: 2018M640270) for YH. This research was also funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers: 82103056 and 81970402) for JZ.
Acknowledgments
We deeply thank all the authors and reviewers who have participated in this Research Topic.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
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References
Davis, F. M., and Gallagher, K. A. (2019). Epigenetic mechanisms in monocytes/macrophages regulate inflammation in cardiometabolic and vascular disease. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 39 (4), 623–634. doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.118.312135
Han, Y., Tanios, F., Reeps, C., Zhang, J., Schwamborn, K., Eckstein, H. H., et al. (2016). Histone acetylation and histone acetyltransferases show significant alterations in human abdominal aortic aneurysm. Clin. Epigenetics 8, 3. doi:10.1186/s13148-016-0169-6
He, Y., Zhang, H., Yin, F., Guo, P., Wang, S., Wu, Y., et al. (2021). Novel insights into the role of 5-Methylcytosine RNA methylation in human abdominal aortic aneurysm. Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed. 26 (11), 1147–1165. doi:10.52586/5016
Wu, Y., Jiang, D., Zhang, H., Yin, F., Guo, P., Zhang, X., et al. (2022). N1-Methyladenosine (m1A) regulation associated with the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm through YTHDF3 modulating macrophage polarization. Front. Cardiovasc Med. 9, 883155. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.883155
Xia, Q., Zhang, J., Han, Y., Zhang, X., Jiang, H., Lun, Y., et al. (2019). Epigenetic regulation of regulatory T cells in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm. FEBS Open Bio 9 (6), 1137–1143. doi:10.1002/2211-5463.12643
Keywords: epigenectic regulation, epigenetic therapeutics, abdominal aort aneurysm, cardiometabolic and vascular disease, noncoding RNA
Citation: Han Y, Chen C and Zhang J (2023) Editorial: Epigenetic mechanisms and epigenetic-based therapies in cardiometabolic and vascular disease. Front. Genet. 14:1233096. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1233096
Received: 01 June 2023; Accepted: 08 June 2023;
Published: 23 June 2023.
Edited and reviewed by:
Michael E Symonds, University of Nottingham, United KingdomCopyright © 2023 Han, Chen and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Jian Zhang, jianzhang@cmu.edu.cn; Yanshuo Han, yanshuohan@dlut.edu.cn