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Epigenetic Regulation of Autophagy in Cardiovascular Pathobiology

Shuhan Bu1, Krishna K Singh1

  • 1Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|July 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Epigenetic pathways regulate autophagy, a cellular recycling process crucial for cardiovascular health. Understanding these mechanisms may reveal new therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading global cause of death.
  • Autophagy, a cellular recycling process, is vital in development and disease, including CVDs.
  • Effective therapeutics for CVDs are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the complex regulatory mechanisms of autophagy.
  • To investigate the role of epigenetic pathways in autophagy and CVDs.
  • To identify potential novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for CVDs.

Main Methods:

  • Review of epigenetic mechanisms governing autophagy.
  • Analysis of the interplay between autophagy, epigenetics, and CVDs.
  • Exploration of gene expression regulation via histone modifications, microRNAs, and long non-coding RNAs.

Main Results:

  • Autophagic regulation is multifactorial and influenced by epigenetic pathways.
  • Epigenetic mechanisms like histone modifications, mRNA degradation, microRNAs, and lncRNAs impact autophagy.
  • These pathways are implicated in the development and progression of CVDs.

Conclusions:

  • Molecular insights into epigenetic regulation of autophagy are essential for understanding CVDs.
  • Epigenetic-autophagy pathways represent promising avenues for novel CVD therapeutics.
  • Further research may uncover new biomarkers for CVD diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords:
atherosclerosisautophagycardiovascular diseasesepigenetics

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