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

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.