Does epigenetic balance of aberrant Rasal1 promoter methylation and hydroxymethylation regulate cardiac fibrosis?
Our study provides proof-in-principle evidence that transcriptional suppression of RASAL1 through aberrant promoter methylation contributes to EndMT and ultimately to progression of cardiac fibrosis. Such aberrant methylation can be reversed through Tet3-mediated hydroxymethylation, which can be specifically induced by BMP7. This may reflect a new treatment strategy to stop cardiac fibrosis.
These results suggest the need for prospective studies to further investigate the relationships between hospital transfer and medical and nonmedical factors.