Epigenetic programming of cardiac alterations

Epigenetic changes are highly sensitive mechanisms involved in development, as the organism undergoes profound changes. Epigenetic regulation is mediated by three main inter-regulated mechanisms: the methylation of CpG islands in the DNA sequence, chromatin remodeling linked to histone post-translational modifications and non-coding RNAs including micro-RNAs. Epigenetic imprinting is currently considered a major factor in developmental plasticity, and in the early programming of lifelong health or risk for disease.

In this context, we aim to :

1. Identify the cardiac epigenetic alterations induced by early nutritional challenges
2. Identify early and sensitive non-invasive biomarkers (miRNAs) of cardiac alterations
3. Test the reversibility of the phenotype with nutritional, pharmacological, or nucleotide based approaches (miRNA mimic, antimiR, gapmeR)