Epigenetic Regulation of Cell Differentiation During Development and Disease: From Vascular Plasticity to Immune Signaling
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 3533
Special Issue Editors
Interests: epigenetics; cardiovascular research; smooth muscle cells
2. Biomedical Research Networking Center in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
Interests: COPD; pulmonary hypertension; pulmonary fibrosis; ARDS; ALI; OSAS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Introduction and Scope
The traditional view of cellular identity as a static state has been revolutionized by our understanding of phenotypic plasticity. In the cardiovascular and immune systems, the ability of a cell to remodel its identity is a double-edged sword; it is essential for embryonic morphogenesis and wound healing, yet it serves as a primary driver of pathologies such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and fibrosis.
Central to this flexibility is epigenetic regulation. Modifications to the chromatin landscape, including DNA methylation, histone tail modifications, non-coding RNA interactions, and epitranscriptomics, play a key role orchestrating gene expression program without altering the underlying genetic code.
Focus Areas
This Special Issue aims to move beyond isolated cell models to explore the complex epigenetic networks governing:
- Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (vSMCs): While vSMCs are critical for maintaining vascular tone and stability, they exhibit extreme plasticity. Beyond the classical "contractile-to-synthetic" switch, recent lineage tracing and scRNA-seq data have shown vSMCs can transition into osteoblast-like, macrophage-like, or mesenchymal-like states.
- Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EndoMT): We seek to explore the epigenetic triggers that cause endothelial cells to lose their polar identity and acquire a myofibroblastic phenotype, a process central to tissue fibrosis and vascular remodeling.
- Immune Cell Differentiation: We welcome studies on the role of "epigenetic memory" in immune cells as they differentiate and infiltrate diseased vascular tissues, contributing to chronic inflammation.
- Development vs. Disease: Comparative studies on how epigenetic mechanisms used during embryonic development are "reawakened" or dysregulated in adult pathological states.
Dr. Melina M. Musri
Dr. Victor I. Peinado
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- vascular smooth muscle cells
- cell phenotypic change
- epigenetics
- gene expression regulation
- cell differentiation
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