RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The emerging role of epigenetics in pulmonary hypertension JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 903 OP 917 DO 10.1183/13993003.01714-2015 VO 48 IS 3 A1 Elisabetta Gamen A1 Werner Seeger A1 Soni Savai Pullamsetti YR 2016 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/3/903.abstract AB Epigenetics is usually defined as the study of changes in phenotype and gene expression not related to sequence alterations, but rather the chemical modifications of DNA and of its associated chromatin proteins. These modifications can be acquired de novo, being inherited, and represent the way in which genome and environment interact. Recent evidence points to the involvement of epigenetic changes in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension, as they can partly explain how environmental and lifestyle factors can impose susceptibility to pulmonary hypertension and can explain the phenotypic alteration and maintenance of the disease state.In this article, we review the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms that are mediated by DNA methylation, the post-translational modifications of histone tails and noncoding RNAs in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. Furthermore, pharmacological interventions aimed at epigenetic regulators/modifiers and their outcomes in different cellular and preclinical rodent models are discussed. Lastly, the remaining challenges and future directions in which to explore epigenetic-based therapies in pulmonary hypertension are discussed.Epigenetic mechanisms and pharmacological interventions in pulmonary hypertension http://ow.ly/ykeJ3017fN8