Epigenetics, asthma, and allergic diseases: a review of the latest advancements

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2012 Jun;12(3):211-20. doi: 10.1007/s11882-012-0257-4.

Abstract

Environmental epigenetic regulation in asthma and allergic disease is an exciting area that has gained a great deal of scientific momentum in recent years. Environmental exposures, including prenatal maternal smoking, have been associated with asthma-related outcomes that may be explained by epigenetic regulation. In addition, several known allergy and asthma genes have been found to be susceptible to epigenetic regulation. We review the latest experimental and translational studies that have been published this past year in several areas, including 1) characterization of environmental asthma triggers that induce epigenetic changes, 2) characterization of allergic immune and regulatory pathways important to asthma that undergo epigenetic regulation, 3) evidence of active epigenetic regulation in asthma experimental models and the production of asthma biomarkers, 4) evidence of transmission of an asthma-related phenotype across multiple generations, and 5) "pharmaco-epigenetics." The field has certainly advanced significantly in the past year.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data*
  • Animals
  • Asthma / drug therapy
  • Asthma / genetics*
  • Asthma / immunology
  • Biomarkers / analysis
  • DNA Methylation
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Environmental Exposure / statistics & numerical data*
  • Epigenesis, Genetic*
  • Epigenomics
  • Gene-Environment Interaction*
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity / drug therapy
  • Hypersensitivity / genetics*
  • Hypersensitivity / immunology
  • Pharmacogenetics
  • Phenotype
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Smoking / adverse effects

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Histones
  • RNA, Messenger