Article
Environmental Sciences
Xingjie Zhang, Lin Ma, Yue Tang, Jiangyuan Han, Yongmei Qi, Dejun Huang
Summary: The study revealed that Cd-induced promoter hypermethylation of RASSF1A and DAPK1, decreasing their expression and leading to higher level of cell proliferation. Furthermore, Cd at low concentrations could influence DNA methylation, which may serve as the proliferative mechanism of Cd.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lu Sun, Rikst-Nynke Verkaik-Schakel, Knut Biber, Torsten Ploesch, Tsvetan Serchov
Summary: The research demonstrated that stress-induced depression-like behavior and antidepressant treatments are associated with epigenetic alterations of the Homer1 promoter, providing new insights into the mechanism of antidepressant treatment.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Barbara do Nascimento Borges
Summary: Mammary cancer is the most common tumor type in dogs, particularly in unspayed females. This type of cancer, like in humans, is influenced by various factors including age, hormonal exposure, genetics, and epigenetics. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs, play a crucial role in gene expression regulation and can impact biological processes like cellular differentiation and development. Dysregulation of these epigenetic patterns may contribute to diseases, including cancer. This review provides an overview of the epigenetic alterations in canine mammary cancer, their association with carcinogenesis, and their potential as diagnostic and prognostic markers.
GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah S. Wang, Jihao Xu, Keely Y. Ji, Chang-Il Hwang
Summary: Pancreatic cancer, particularly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), is a significant cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. While genetic mutations driving PDA initiation and progression have been identified, the mechanisms underlying PDA metastasis remain elusive. It is suggested that epigenetic fluctuations may play a critical role in driving PDA metastasis.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jorge Valencia-Ortega, Renata Saucedo, Martha A. Sanchez-Rodriguez, Jose G. Cruz-Duran, Edgar G. Ramos Martinez
Summary: Gestational diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic complication in pregnancy, involving various factors in its pathophysiology. Studies have observed that alterations in DNA methylation patterns and certain microRNA levels are related to the disease characteristics, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Roberta Romano, Francesca Cillo, Cristina Moracas, Laura Pignata, Chiara Nannola, Elisabetta Toriello, Antonio De Rosa, Emilia Cirillo, Emma Coppola, Giuliana Giardino, Nicola Brunetti-Pierri, Andrea Riccio, Claudio Pignata
Summary: The epigenome plays a crucial role in fine-tuning gene transcription by bridging environmental factors and the genome. It involves various intricate changes, such as DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, histone modifications, and RNA processing, which regulate physiological processes in development, maturation, and maintenance of cellular identity and function. Recent studies on genome-wide DNA methylation data have shed new light on the potential contribution of epigenetics in the pathophysiology of the immune system and host defense. Understanding environment-genome interactions through the study of patients with mutations in genes encoding for epigenetic machinery has provided insights and potential therapeutic options.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Jibran Sualeh Muhammad, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Sutherland K. Maciver, Ahmad M. Alharbi, Hasan Alfahemi, Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
Summary: Since the discovery of antibiotics, humans have benefited from decreased morbidity and mortality associated with bacterial infections. However, the misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, which is a major health concern. Bacteria exposed to inappropriate levels of antibiotics undergo genetic changes that enable them to survive in the host and become more resistant.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emily Catherine Cheung, Matthew Wyatt Kay, Kathryn Jaques Schunke
Summary: Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea has negative impacts on health and behavior in childhood, as well as increasing the risk for chronic adult diseases. There is growing evidence that epigenetic mechanisms may play a significant role in the development of adult diseases originating from early life insults.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Fouzieh Salimi, Gholamreza Asadikaram, Mohammad Reza Ashrafi, Hamid Zeynali Nejad, Moslem Abolhassani, Mojtaba Abbasi-Jorjandi, Mojgan Sanjari
Summary: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) on the promoter methylation of tumor-suppressor genes and histone modifications in thyroid nodules. The results showed that Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients had higher TSHR methylation and lower P16 methylation compared to benign thyroid nodule (BTN) patients. OCPs increased the methylation of TSHR and P16, and decreased the acetylation of H3K9, H4K16, and H3K18 in PTC patients. Conclusion: OCPs contribute to PTC progression by promoting TSHR hypermethylation and decreasing H3K9 and H4K16 acetylation. Assessing TSHR methylation and H3K9, H4K16 acetylation could be predictive in PTC patients.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Iason Psilopatis, Alexandros Pergaris, Kleio Vrettou, Stamatios Theocharis, Constantinos Troungos
Summary: Thymic Epithelial Neoplasms (TENs) are commonly observed tumors in the thymus gland. Epigenetic modifications, including non-coding RNA clusters and altered gene methylation, are implicated in the tumorigenesis of TENs and may serve as potential biomarkers. Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors have shown promising antitumor effects in clinical trials and could be effective epigenetic therapeutic agents for TENs. However, further studies in larger patient cohorts are required to validate the clinical utility and safety of novel epigenetic agents in the treatment of TENs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Liliana Montella, Mariella Cuomo, Nunzio Del Gaudio, Michela Buonaiuto, Davide Costabile, Roberta Visconti, Teodolinda Di Risi, Roberta Vinciguerra, Federica Trio, Sara Ferraro, Guglielmo Bove, Gaetano Facchini, Lucia Altucci, Lorenzo Chiariotti, Rosa Della Monica
Summary: This article reviews the druggable epigenetic features of glioblastomas and discusses the corresponding targeted therapies and their potential efficacy. It emphasizes the recent technological improvements that allow routine investigation of many glioblastoma epigenetic biomarkers in clinical practice.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jingxian Zhou, Xuan Wang, Zhen Wei, Jia Meng, Daiyun Huang
Summary: This study presents a computational framework for predicting 4acC-carrying regions in Arabidopsis genomic DNA and demonstrates its promising performance through cross-validation and independent testing. The framework also enables motif mining and provides a user-friendly web server. The findings of this study will contribute to 4acC research.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Carolin Czauderna, Alicia Poplawski, Colm J. O'Rourke, Darko Castven, Benjamin Perez-Aguilar, Diana Becker, Stephanie Heilmann-Heimbach, Margarete Odenthal, Wafa Amer, Marcel Schmiel, Uta Drebber, Harald Binder, Dirk A. Ridder, Mario Schindeldecker, Beate K. Straub, Peter R. Galle, Jesper B. Andersen, Snorri S. Thorgeirsson, Young Nyun Park, Jens U. Marquardt
Summary: The study revealed epigenetic alterations at different stages of primary liver cancer through genome-wide methylome and transcriptome analyses. Integrative molecular changes were identified, involving apoptosis, immune regulation, and stemness pathways in early HCC, while late changes focused on cell survival, proliferation, and invasion. The findings provide potential therapeutic targets for novel approaches in treating liver cancer.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eugenia Annunzi, Loreta Cannito, Fabio Bellia, Francesca Mercante, Matteo Vismara, Beatrice Benatti, Alberto Di Domenico, Riccardo Palumbo, Walter Adriani, Bernardo Dell'Osso, Claudio D'Addario
Summary: This study investigated the epigenetic and genetic regulation of the oxytocin receptor, dopamine transporter, and serotonin transporter genes in relation to Internet addiction. The results showed significant changes in DNA methylation levels and their correlation with psychometric properties. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neurobiology of Internet addiction and offer potential biological predictors for early diagnosis and treatment.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Harry MacKay, Chathura J. Gunasekara, Kit-Yi Yam, Dollada Srisai, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Yumei Li, Rui Chen, Cristian Coarfa, Robert A. Waterland
Summary: Recent studies have confirmed that obesity is primarily a neurodevelopmental disease influenced by nutrition during critical ontogenic windows. This study examines the role of epigenetic mechanisms in establishing and maintaining the brain's energy balance circuitry, specifically in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. The results indicate that postnatal epigenetic maturation is cell type and sex specific, occurring in genomic regions associated with body mass index heritability. These findings provide valuable insights into the limited ontogenic windows for developmental programming of obesity and the sex differences in sensitivity, and offer a resource for epigenetic analysis of energy balance programming.