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REVIEW article

Front. Mol. Biosci.
Sec. Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2025.1548355
This article is part of the Research Topic Epigenetic and Genetic Mechanisms Underlying Cardiovascular Diseases and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Volume II View all articles

Epigenetic regulation in coronary artery disease: from mechanisms to emerging therapies

Provisionally accepted
Rui Gao Rui Gao 1,2,3Meilin Liu Meilin Liu 1,2,3Haoyi Yang Haoyi Yang 1,2,3Yuhan Shen Yuhan Shen 1,2,3Ni Xia Ni Xia 1,2,3*
  • 1 Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
  • 2 Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hebei Province, China
  • 3 Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Immunological Diagnosis and Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hebei Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Atherosclerosis, the primary cause of coronary artery disease (CAD), remains a leading global cause of mortality. It is characterized by the accumulation of cholesterol-rich plaques and inflammation, which narrow the coronary arteries and increase the risk of rupture. To elucidate this complex biological process and improve therapeutic strategies, CAD has been extensively explored from an epigenetic perspective over the past two decades. Epigenetics is a field investigating heritable alterations in gene expression without DNA sequence changes, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Increasing evidence has indicated that the development of CAD is significantly influenced by epigenetic changes. Meanwhile, the impact of epigenetics in CAD is now transitioning from pathophysiology to therapeutics. Focusing on the key epigenetic enzymes and their target genes will help to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of CAD. This review synthesizes novel epigenetic insights into CAD, addressing the pathological processes, key molecular mechanisms, and potential biomarkers. Furthermore, we discuss emerging therapeutic strategies targeting epigenetic pathways. By focusing on pivotal enzymes and their associated genes, this work aims to advance CAD diagnostics and interventions.

    Keywords: epigenetics, Coronary Artery Disease, Atherosclerosis, DNA Methylation, Histone Modifications, non-coding RNAs, therapeutic targets

    Received: 19 Dec 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Liu, Yang, Shen and Xia. 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) or licensor 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: Ni Xia, Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.