Great expectations – Epigenetics and the meandering path from bench to bedside
Journal Title: Biomedical Journal - Year 2016, Vol 39, Issue 3
Abstract
Making quick promises of major biomedical breakthroughs based on exciting discoveries at the bench is tempting. But the meandering path from fundamental science to life-saving clinical applications can be fraught with many hurdles. Epigenetics, the study of potentially heritable changes of gene function without modification of the underlying DNA sequence, has dominated the biological research field during the last decade and encountered a large public success. Driven by the unfolding of molecular biology and recent technological progress, the term has evolved significantly and shifted from a conceptual framework to a mechanistic understanding. This shift was accompanied by much hype and raised high hopes that epigenetics might hold both the key to deciphering the molecular underpinning of complex, non-Mendelian diseases and offer novel therapeutic approaches for a large panel of pathologies. However, while exciting reports of biological phenomena involving DNA methylation and histone modifications fill up the scientific literature, the realistic clinical applications of epigenetic medicines remain somewhat blurry. Here, we discuss the state of the art and speculate how epigenetics might contribute to prognostic and therapy approaches in the future.
Authors and Affiliations
Sophia J. Häfner, Anders H. Lund
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP679911
- DOI 10.1016/j.bj.2016.01.008
- Views 29
- Downloads 0
Journal impact factor – Handle with care
Peer review under responsibility of Chang Gung University.
Spectrum of neurosurgeon's role in epilepsy surgery
It is well known that there is high quality evidence of epilepsy surgery as an effective and safe option for patients with drug refractory epilepsy by advanced imaging technology and computerized electrophysiological fac...
A 2-year retrospective study of pediatric dental emergency visits at a hospital emergency center in Taiwan
There is a paucity of information regarding pediatric dental emergencies in Taiwan. This study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of the pediatric dental emergency services provided at a medical center.
A clinical score to predict dose reductions of antidiabetes medications with intentional weight loss: A retrospective cohort study
We assessed the predictive accuracy of an empirically-derived score (weight loss, insulin resistance, and glycemic control: “WIG”) to predict patients who will be successful in reducing diabetes mellitus...
Psychobiotics: An emerging probiotic in psychiatric practice
Intestinal microbial flora plays critical role in maintenance of health. Probiotic organisms have been recognized as an essential therapeutic component in the treatment of intestinal dysbiosis. Current research suggests...