The Regulatory Roles of Non-coding RNAs in Angiogenesis and Neovascularization From an Epigenetic Perspective

Angiogenesis is a crucial process for organ morphogenesis and growth during development and it is especially relevant during repair of wounded tissue in adults. It is coordinated by an equilibrium of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors; nevertheless, when affected, it promotes several diseases. Lately, growing evidences report that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as miRNAs, circRNAs and lncRNAs play critical roles in angiogenesis. These ncRNAs can act in cis or trans and alter gene transcription by several mechanisms such as epigenetic processes. In the following pages we will discuss the functions of ncRNAs in the regulation of angiogenesis and neovascularization, both in normal and disease contexts, from an epigenetic perspective. Additionally, we will describe the contribution of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques in the discovery and understanding of ncRNAs role in angiogenesis.