Epigenetics are omnipresent in eukaryotic cells and influence cell differentiation and maintenance of cell metabolism in health and disease. Here, we discuss how the 'second genetic code' impacts the fate of the injured kidney. We provide a glimpse of how recent insights into epigenetic mechanisms of chronic kidney disease might lead to novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
Keywords: epigenetic; histone modification; hydroxymethylation; kidney fibrosis; methylation.