epigenetics

Tweaking Gene Expression to Repair Lungs
02/26/2013 - 11:13

Lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are on the rise, according to the American Lung Association and the National Institutes of Health. By studying how HDAC activity, as well as other epigenetic regulators, controls lung development and regeneration, they hope to develop new therapies to alleviate the unmet needs of patients with asthma and COPD.

 

more
Epigenetics Shapes Fate of Brain vs. Brawn Castes in Carpenter Ants
02/13/2013 - 12:43

The recently published genome sequences of seven well-studied ant species are opening up new vistas for biology and medicine. A detailed look at molecular mechanisms that underlie the complex behavioral differences in two worker castes in the Florida carpenter ant, Camponotus floridanus, has revealed a link to epigenetics. This is the study of how the expression or suppression of particular genes by chemical modifications affects an organism’s physical characteristics, development, and behavior. Epigenetic processes not only play a significant role in many diseases, but are also involved in longevity and aging.

 

more
Colon cancer exhibits a corresponding epigenetic pattern in mice and humans
02/08/2013 - 06:48

Tumourigenesis is driven by genetic alterations and by changes in the epigenome, for instance by the addition of methyl groups to cytosine bases in the DNA. A deeper understanding of the interaction between the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms is critical for the selection of tumour biomarkers and for the future development of therapies. Human tumour specimens and cell lines however contain a plethora of genetic and epigenetic changes, which complicate data analysis.

 

more
Personal Epigentic "Signatures" Found Consistent in Prostate Cancer Patient Metastases
01/25/2013 - 11:06

In a genome-wide analysis of 13 metastatic prostate cancers, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found consistent epigenetic “signatures” across all metastatic tumors in each patient. The discovery of the stable, epigenetic “marks” that sit on the nuclear DNA of cancer cells and alter gene expression, defies a prevailing belief that the marks vary so much within each individual’s widespread cancers that they have little or no value as targets for therapy or as biomarkers for treatment response and predicting disease severity.

more
Epigenetic changes can explain rheumatism
01/21/2013 - 14:32

A new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US shows that so-called epigenetic changes in the DNA are involved in causing rheumatoid arthritis, and that these changes can be genetically predetermined. The paper, which is published in the scientific periodical Nature Biotechnology, sheds light on how risk genes can be expressed in disease and why some individuals are affected more readily than others.

more
Scientists decode 'software' instructions of aggressive leukemia cells
10/29/2012 - 11:21

A team of national and international researchers, led by Weill Cornell Medical College scientists, have decoded the key "software" instructions that drive three of the most virulent forms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). They discovered ALL's "software" is encoded with epigenetic marks, chemical modifications of DNA and surrounding proteins, allowing the research team to identify new potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

more