L’ATEROSCLEROSI È (ANCHE) UNA MALATTIA EPIGENETICA - Atherosclerosis is (also) an epigenetic disease.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to acute cardiovascular events. Despite the efforts to characterize the underlying mechanisms, understanding its complex pathogenesis remains a crucial point for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), still leading cause of mortality worldwide. The crucial role of epigenetic changes in controlling gene expression has been demonstrated in several diseases, such as cancer and inflammatory disorders. Over the last decade, overwhelming evidence support the implication of epigenetic processes (such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs) in the development, progression and vulnerability of plaque. Altogether these studies highlight the potential application of epigenetic drugs for the treat- ment of atherosclerosis.