Xu L, Fan YH, Zhang XJ, Bai L. Unraveling the relationship between histone methylation and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. World J Hepatol 2024; 16(5): 703-715 [PMID: 38818286 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i5.703]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Lan Bai, PhD, Professor, State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases; Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education; Gannan Medical University, Huangjin Campus, University Town, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China. bailan@gmu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. May 27, 2024; 16(5): 703-715 Published online May 27, 2024. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i5.703
Unraveling the relationship between histone methylation and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Li Xu, Yu-Hong Fan, Xiao-Jing Zhang, Lan Bai
Li Xu, Yu-Hong Fan, Lan Bai, State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases; Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China
Xiao-Jing Zhang, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China
Co-first authors: Li Xu and Yu-Hong Fan.
Author contributions: Xu L and Fan YH contributed equally to this work; Xu L and Fan YH reviewed and analyzed the literature; All authors contributed to the writing and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: Https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Lan Bai, PhD, Professor, State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases; Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education; Gannan Medical University, Huangjin Campus, University Town, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China. bailan@gmu.edu.cn
Received: December 28, 2023 Revised: February 9, 2024 Accepted: April 7, 2024 Published online: May 27, 2024 Processing time: 146 Days and 4.4 Hours
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) poses a significant health challenge in modern societies due to shifts in lifestyle and dietary habits. Its complexity stems from genetic predisposition, environmental influences, and metabolic factors. Epigenetic processes govern various cellular functions such as transcription, chromatin structure, and cell division. In NAFLD, these epigenetic tendencies, especially the process of histone methylation, are intricately intertwined with fat accumulation in the liver. Histone methylation is regulated by different enzymes like methyltransferases and demethylases and influences the expression of genes related to adipogenesis. While early-stage NAFLD is reversible, its progression to severe stages becomes almost irreversible. Therefore, early detection and intervention in NAFLD are crucial, and understanding the precise role of histone methylation in the early stages of NAFLD could be vital in halting or potentially reversing the progression of this disease.
Core Tip: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health concern accounting for a significant proportion of liver-related deaths. However, there are no Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for NAFLD treatment. Epigenetic mechanisms play multiple roles in the pathogenesis of diseases and hold promise as potential therapeutic targets. Here, we review the impact of histone methylation on the alterations in metabolic homeostasis, inflammatory injury, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis during the progression of NAFLD, providing a theoretical foundation for target discovery and clinical treatment.
