Biological Methylation in Development and Cancer 2.0

Dear Colleagues,

In the past few years, epigenetic studies have changed the way we see cell reprogramming and differentiation. Now we know that there is no need for the existence of a DNA mutation to change the fate of a cell, and that epigenetic changes at the chromatin level can be sufficient. Of all the possible epigenetic modifications, Methylation has historically been considered one of the most stable. This view, however, has changed radically with the discovery of mechanisms that allow the removal of methyl marks from DNA, RNA, and proteins.

Importantly, while DNA methyltransferases inhibitors have long been tested in patients, more recently protein methyltransferases have also proven to be druggable enzymes, and selective and potent inhibitors have recently entered clinical trials, with great promise for targeted cancer therapy.

This Special Issue will be focused around epigenetic changes conducted by methyltransferases and demethylases and how these changes at the DNA or protein level regulate normal development or lead to cancerous transformation. We will consider research or methods manuscripts of exceptional interest on the following topics:

• The effect of methyltransferases and demethylases implicated in the development of any model organism;
• The effect of methyltransferases and demethylases implicated in cancer;
• The development of novel small molecule inhibitors of methyltransferases and demethylases;
• Clinical studies investigating the role of methyltransferases and demethylases in cancer.

Dr. Ernesto Guccione
Dr. Gaetano Verde
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Epigenomes is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.