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Epigenetic regulation in fibrosis progress

Taixiong Xue1, Xingyu Qiu1, Hongyao Liu1

  • 1Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.

Pharmacological Research
|September 25, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Fibrotic diseases, marked by organ scarring and failure, have limited treatments. This review explores how epigenetic changes, including DNA methylation and RNA modifications, drive fibrosis and offers insights into targeted therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Fibrosis is a pathological repair response to chronic organ damage, leading to scarring and functional failure.
  • Fibrotic diseases contribute significantly to global mortality, with current treatments being limited.
  • Deep sequencing technologies enable comprehensive exploration of epigenetic mechanisms in fibrosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the regulatory mechanisms of epigenetics in organ fibrosis.
  • To highlight the role of DNA methylation, histone modification, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in fibrogenesis.
  • To discuss the potential of epigenetic-based targeted therapies for fibrosis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on epigenetic mechanisms in fibrosis.
  • Analysis of studies investigating DNA methylation, histone modification, ncRNAs, and m6A modification.
  • Examination of fibrosis in heart, liver, lung, and kidney.

Main Results:

  • Epigenetic modifications extensively remodel cell phenotypes and molecular pathways in fibrogenesis.
  • Specific epigenetic regulators like DNA methylation, histone modifications, ncRNAs, and m6A are implicated in organ fibrosis.
  • Significant diversity exists in epigenetic regulation across different cell types and organs during fibrosis.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic mechanisms play a crucial and diverse role in the development and progression of organ fibrosis.
  • Understanding these epigenetic alterations is key to developing novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Targeted epigenetic therapies hold promise for treating fibrotic diseases.
Keywords:
DNA methylationEpigenetic regulationFibrosisHistone modificationN6-methyladenosine modification (m6A)Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs)

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