Are epigenetic modifications implicated in cardiovascular development and disease?
Genetic and epigenetic factors are of great importance in cardiovascular biology and disease. Aberrant epigenetic mechanisms may lead to pathological consequences such as cardiovascular disease (CAD).Recent studies have greatly expanded our understanding of the regulation of cardiovascular development at the chromatin level, including the remodeling of chromatin and the modification of histones. Thus, understanding chromatin-level regulation will allow for a better appreciation of gene regulation as a whole and may set a fundamental basis for cardiovascular disease.