Epigenetic Biomarkers—Technologies and Applications in Complex Disease Diagnostics and Beyond

Dear Colleagues,

The three main epigenetic mechanisms in mammalian cells are histone modification, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNA, and each mechanism works in a different way to regulate gene expression. Among epigenetic factors, DNA methylation is the longest known and best studied, as it plays an important role in imprinting and the developmental control of gene expression. Nevertheless, most importantly, the changes in DNA methylation patterns and microRNA profiles have been associated with health, aging, and many diseases. As DNA methylation and miRNA marks often represent an early event in the pathological process and are fairly stable and detectable in biological fluids, they are excellent biomarkers for liquid biopsy disease diagnosis. The availability of genome-wide technologies for DNA methylation and microRNA profiling, which are becoming more and more sensitive, has revolutionized the field of epigenetics and led to the discovery of a number of epigenetic biomarkers used in complex disease detection, as well as the prognosis, monitoring, and prediction of therapeutic responses.

In this Special Issue, we will discuss epigenetic biomarkers. The scope of this study ranges from the most basic to the most clinically applied mechanisms, incorporating methodologies, applications, and implications.

We request the submission of research articles or reviews on the following topics: DNA methylation, non-coding RNA, microRNA, liquid biopsy, extracellular vesicles, and technologies for epigenomics. In line with the journal’s mission—IJMS is a journal of molecular science—pure clinical studies are not suitable, but clinical submissions with biomolecular experiments are welcome.

Dr. Christa Nöhammer
Guest Editor

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