TITLE:
Epigenetics mechanisms and degenerative diseases
AUTHORS:
Kalpana Joshi, Smitha Bhat, Pooja Deshpande, Mayura Sule, Kapaettu Satyamoorthy
KEYWORDS:
Epigenetics; DNA Methylation; Histone Modifications; DNA Methylation; Rheumatoid Arthritis
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Genetics,
Vol.2 No.4,
December
31,
2012
ABSTRACT: Epigenetic regulations are heritable changes in gene expression that occur in the absence of alterations in DNA sequences. Various epigenetic mechanisms include histone modifications and DNA methylations. In this review, we examine methods to study DNA methylations and their contribution to degenerative diseases by mediating the complex gene-by-environment interactions. Such epigenetic modifications despite being heritable and stably maintained are also potentially reversible and there is scope for the development of epigenetic therapies for this disease.