About this Research Topic
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including hypertension, atherosclerosis-related myocardial infarction and stroke, ischemia/reperfusion injury, vascular calcification, and heart failure, are leading causes of mortality worldwide. The molecular mechanisms underlying CVDs involve interactions between inherited genetic mutations and acquired epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, that are influenced by environmental cues and lifestyle factors.
Genetic tools, such as lineage-tracing, gene editing, single cell and spatial transcriptomics and epigenetics, and establishment of genome-wide associations (GWAS and molecular QTL) enable a comprehensive understanding of human diseases, including CVDs, opening a new chapter in genetics and epigenetics. With novel tools, we can unveil the genetics and epigenetics of CVDs and shed light on when prevention and intervention strategies should be implemented.
This Research Topic aims to collect a series of Original Research articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, and Methods on the applications of genetic tools in CVDs, with the goal of increasing our knowledge on the prevention and intervention of CVDs. The following topics are welcome:
1. Animal lineage-tracing models to study the role of different cell types in the pathogenesis of CVDs.
2. Molecular mechanisms of crosstalk between epigenetics (histone modifications and DNA methylation or non-coding RNAs) and genetic variants in the context of CVDs.
3. Genetic and epigenetic variations that impact vascular cell and organ structure and function in CVDs.
4. Novel gene-editing methods aimed at correcting abnormal mutations in genetic variants and epigenetic factors predisposing to CVDs.
All Rising Star researchers will be suggested by established Editors within our board in recognition of their influence on the future directions in their respective fields.
While future innovations in epigenomics and epigenetics are yet to be discovered, this Research Topic will give us a hint at whom to follow.
Keywords: Rising Stars, epigenomics, epigenetics, Cardiovascular diseases, methylation, histone, single cell, spatial transcriptomics
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.