This proposed collection will highlight recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate heart development and how their disruption leads to congenital heart disease. We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives addressing genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, and signaling pathways that govern cardiac cell specification, morphogenesis, chamber formation, and functional maturation. Particular interest will be given to studies that connect developmental mechanisms with disease pathogenesis, including work using animal models, stem cell systems, human genetics, and multi-omics approaches. By bringing together studies across basic and translational developmental biology, this collection aims to provide new insights into the origins of congenital heart disease and to promote emerging strategies for diagnosis, modeling, and therapeutic intervention.

Keywords: cardiac development, congenital heart disease, transcriptional regulation, epigenetics, cardiogenesis, animal models

Developmental programming refers to the process by which early-life environmental factors influence the long-term health outcomes of an individual, including susceptibility to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Epigenetic modifications, which involve changes in gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence, have been increasingly recognized as key mediators of developmental programming. These modifications include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, and can be influenced by a variety of factors such as stress, nutrition, toxins, and other environmental exposures during critical periods of development. Notably, epigenetic changes may be heritable, leading to transgenerational effects on health.

This Collection aims to explore the growing body of research examining the connection between developmental programming and epigenetics, with a focus on how exposures during critical period of development can impact gene expression and contribute to disease risk across the lifespan. We invite contributions that advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying developmental programming and epigenetic regulation, and that offer insights into potential therapeutic approaches for mitigating adverse health outcomes linked to early-life exposures.

Potential topics for this Collection include, but are not limited to:

Mechanisms of developmental programming: How early-life environmental exposures (e.g., nutrition, toxins, stress) induce epigenetic changes and influence long-term health.

DNA methylation and histone modification in developmental programming: Insights into how these epigenetic marks regulate gene expression during critical periods of development.

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: Evidence and mechanisms by which epigenetic changes are passed from one generation to the next, affecting offspring health.

The role of non-coding RNAs in developmental programming and epigenetic regulation.

The impact of prenatal and early-life exposures on metabolic programming, neurodevelopment, and immune system function.

The influence of the maternal environment on epigenetic modifications and developmental outcomes.

The potential of epigenetic biomarkers in predicting disease risk and therapeutic interventions for early-life programming.

Epigenetic plasticity and interventions to mitigate the impact of harmful exposures (e.g., lifestyle changes, pharmacological approaches, and environmental modifications).

Keywords: developmental programming, epigenetic modifications, early-life exposures, transgenerational inheritance, disease risk