Epigenetics in atherosclerosis: a clinical perspective.

Significant progress has been made in understanding in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, atherosclerosis remains a great threat to human health worldwide. Epigenetic mechanisms, which involve DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNA, have significantly enhanced our understanding of the pathological process of atherosclerosis. More importantly, epigenetic processes (in contrast to genetic alterations) are reversible and thus provide a potential therapeutic target in atherosclerosis treatment. Both in vitro and in vivo studies using drugs targeting enzymes involved in epigenetic modifications have shown considerable promise in atherosclerosis treatment. This review aims to present an overview of current epigenetic mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and discuss points in these processes where therapeutic interventions likely bear fruition.