Role and mechanism of DNA methylation and its inhibitors in hepatic fibrosis

Frontiers in Genetics

Genetics

Wang Xiao¹  Yong-Heng Luo²  Cheng Yu²  Min Lyu²  Qian-Ya Kuang²  Huan Liu²  Shi-Yi Lyu²  En-Hua Xiao²  Guang-Zu Cui³ 

[1] Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University, Changsha, Hunan, China;Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University, Changsha, Hunan, China;XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China;

关键词: hepatic fibrosis;    DNA methylation;    epigenetics;    hepatic stellate cells (HSCs);    DNA methylation inhibitors;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fgene.2023.1124330

 received in 2022-12-15, accepted in 2023-03-15,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Liver fibrosis is a repair response to injury caused by various chronic stimuli that continually act on the liver. Among them, the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and their transformation into a myofibroblast phenotype is a key event leading to liver fibrosis, however the mechanism has not yet been elucidated. The molecular basis of HSC activation involves changes in the regulation of gene expression without changes in the genome sequence, namely, via epigenetic regulation. DNA methylation is a key focus of epigenetic research, as it affects the expression of fibrosis-related, metabolism-related, and tumor suppressor genes. Increasing studies have shown that DNA methylation is closely related to several physiological and pathological processes including HSC activation and liver fibrosis. This review aimed to discuss the mechanism of DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis, explore DNA methylation inhibitors as potential therapies for liver fibrosis, and provide new insights on the prevention and clinical treatment of liver fibrosis.

【 授权许可】

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Copyright © 2023 Lyu, Xiao, Cui, Yu, Liu, Lyu, Kuang, Xiao and Luo.