A Comprehensive Review of Epigenetic Regulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells During Development and Disease

Natali, Lautaro, de la Cruz-Thea, Benjamín, Godino, Andrea, Conde, Cecilia, Peinado, Victor I, Musri, Melina M (January 2026) A Comprehensive Review of Epigenetic Regulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells During Development and Disease. Biomolecules, 16 (1). p. 173. ISSN 2218-273X

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Abstract

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the tunica media are essential for maintaining the structure and function of the arterial wall. These cells regulate vascular tone and contribute to vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, particularly during development. Proper control of VSMC differentiation ensures the correct size and patterning of vessels. Dysregulation of VSMC behaviour in adulthood, however, is linked to serious cardiovascular diseases, including aortic aneurysm, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis and pulmonary hypertension. VSMCs are characterised by their phenotypic plasticity, which is the capacity to transition from a contractile to a synthetic, dedifferentiated state in response to environmental cues. This phenotypic switch plays a central role in vascular remodelling, a process that drives the progression of many vascular pathologies. Epigenetic mechanisms, which are defined as heritable but reversible changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence, have emerged as key regulators of VSMC identity and behaviour. These mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodelling, non-coding RNA and RNA modifications. Understanding how these epigenetic processes influence VSMC plasticity is crucial to uncovering the molecular basis of vascular development and disease. This review explores the current understanding of VSMC biology, focusing on epigenetic regulation in health and pathology.

Item Type:	Paper
Subjects:	bioinformatics bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > epigenetics bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > epigenetics organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > smooth muscle organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions
CSHL Authors:	de la Cruz Thea, Benjamin
Communities:	CSHL labs > Van Aelst lab CSHL Post Doctoral Fellows
SWORD Depositor:	CSHL Elements
Depositing User:	CSHL Elements
Date:	21 January 2026
Date Deposited:	12 Feb 2026 13:27
Last Modified:	12 Feb 2026 13:27
PMCID:	PMC12839408
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/42078

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