Genetic and Epigenetic Factors and Their Interactions in the Susceptibility to Multifactorial Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Multifactorial disorders, with their heterogeneity in clinical phenotypes and their inter-individual variability in prognosis and treatment response, still represent a great challenge for medicine. The etiology of these disorders is triggered by the interaction among predisposing genetic factors, epigenetic factors and environmental factors. In recent decades, the improvement of technology has permitted one to investigate the genetic component of multifactorial disorders. Many genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been extremely successful in identifying genes that contribute to multifactorial disorders susceptibility. In recent years, epigenetics have also attracted the interest of researchers, and we have today evidence of epigenetic alterations in different diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Although epigenetic factors are now considered as important risk factors for the onset of multifactorial disorders, their investigation is still at an early stage and the knowledge about the functional relevance of epigenetics needs to be implemented. Looking ahead, the understanding of the role of epigenetic modifications in the pathogenesis of these diseases and their interaction with genetic factors could suggest novel targets for disease therapy and promote a more personalized medicine.

Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue will be to welcome original articles and reviews covering all aspects of genetics and epigenetics, and their potential interactions, involved both in the susceptibility to multifactorial disorders and in the modulation of their clinical phenotypes and complications.

Dr. Cinzia Ciccacci
Guest Editor

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