Open Access

ARTICLE

Epigenetics for the pediatric cardiologist

Andrew D. Spearman

Medical College of Wisconsin, 9000 Wisconsin Avenue, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

* Corresponding Author: Andrew D. Spearman, Medical College of Wisconsin, 9000 West Wisconsin Avenue, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA. Email:

Congenital Heart Disease 2017, 12(6), 828-833. https://doi.org/10.1111/chd.12543

Abstract

A genetic basis of congenital heart disease (CHD) has been known for decades. In addition to the sequence of the genome, the contribution of epigenetics to pediatric cardiology is increasingly recognized. Multiple epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and RNA-based regulation, are known mediators of cardiovascular disease, including both development and progression of CHD and its sequelae. Basic understanding of the concepts of epigenetics will be essential to all pediatric cardiologists in order to understand mechanisms of pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutic concepts, and to understand the role of epigenetics in precision medicine.

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