Highlights

• The study highlights Fra-1 as a newly identified transcription factor that directly promotes vascular aging by activating key senescence pathways.
• It proposes JMJD3 as a novel epigenetic target that influences inflammation and vascular remodeling via autophagy-related mechanisms.
• The authors suggest that epigenetic “cocktail” therapies may be a future direction to simultaneously target multiple aging-related pathways for vascular health.

Summary

This research explores how age-related changes in blood vessels, known as vascular aging, are closely linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension.

It highlights the role of epigenetic mechanisms (including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs) in regulating key processes like inflammation, oxidative stress, calcification, and cell senescence, all of which contribute to vascular deterioration. Specific molecular targets like SIRT1, JMJD3, Fra-1, and GATA4 are discussed as promising points for therapeutic intervention to delay or reverse vascular aging. The article also reviews potential epigenetic drugs (including statins, resveratrol, and HDAC inhibitors) and their roles in mitigating cardiovascular conditions by modifying gene expression patterns.

Ultimately, the review argues that understanding and manipulating epigenetic regulation could pave the way for more effective treatments for age-related vascular diseases.

Q. Ding, C. Shao, P. Rose, and Y. Z. Zhu, “Epigenetics and Vascular Senescence–Potential New Therapeutic Targets?,” Front. Pharmacol., vol. 11, p. 535395, Sep. 2020, doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.535395.