Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), characterized by localized increased
arterial blood pressure in the
lungs, is a slow developing long-term
disease that can be fatal. PAH is characterized by
inflammation, vascular tone imbalance, pathological pulmonary
vascular remodeling, and
right-sided heart failure. Current
treatments for PAH are palliative and development of new
therapies is necessary. Recent and relevant studies have demonstrated that
epigenetic processes may exert key influences on the pathogenesis of PAH and may be promising
therapeutic targets in the prevention and/or
cure of this condition. The aim of the present mini-
review is to summarize the occurrence of
epigenetic-based mechanisms in the context of PAH
physiopathology, focusing on the
roles of
DNA methylation,
histone post-translational modifications and non-
coding RNAs. We also discuss the potential of
epigenetic-based
therapies for PAH.