Cardiac ECM: Its Epigenetic Regulation and Role in Heart Development and Repair
Rui Song, Li Zhang
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the non-cellular component in the cardiac microenvironment, and serves essential structural and regulatory roles in establishing and maintaining tissue architecture and cellular function. The patterns of molecular and biochemical ECM alterations in developing and adult hearts depend on the underlying injury type. In addition to exploring how the ECM regulates heart structure and function in heart development and repair, this review conducts an inclusive discussion of recent developments in the role, function, and epigenetic guidelines of the ECM. Moreover, it contributes to the development of new therapeutics for cardiovascular disease.
Topics & Concepts
Extracellular matrixEpigeneticsFunction (biology)Cell biologyBiologyEpigenesisDiseaseNeuroscienceBioinformaticsComputational biologyMedicinePathologyDNA methylationGeneticsGene expressionGeneCardiac Structural Anomalies and RepairPeptidase Inhibition and AnalysisTissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine