Emerging Roles of Epigenetic Regulators in Inflammatory Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic events play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of inflammation by influencing various immune components, including cytokines, complements, antimicrobial peptides, cancer-related genes and other inflammation-related genes. These epigenetic modifications can lead to the aberrant activation or suppression of genes in both immune and non-immune cells under inflammatory conditions, contributing to the development of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, sepsis, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Although it is well-established that immune responses can induce epigenetic changes during the genesis and progression of inflammatory diseases, the specific contribution of the immune component versus the stimulated host cell in driving these epigenetic modifications remains unclear. Furthermore, while some epigenetic alterations have been extensively characterized, their underlying mechanisms and origins are still not fully understood.

The aim of the Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements and emerging research related to the involvement of epigenetic regulators in various inflammatory diseases and their potential as therapeutic targets. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) Epigenetic modifications in inflammatory disease;
(2) Identification and characterization of epigenetic markers that can serve as diagnostic, prognostic or predictive tools for various diseases;
(3) Novel insights into the development and application of epigenetic-based therapies, including small-molecule inhibitors, epigenetic editing tools and gene-targeting strategies, to modulate aberrant epigenetic regulation in diseases;
(4) Investigation of the underlying molecular mechanisms by which epigenetic regulators, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling and non-coding RNAs, influence gene expression and cellular functions in disease contexts;
(5) Discussions on the translation of epigenetic research findings into clinical applications, including challenges, limitations and future directions for the development of epigenetic-based therapies and personalized medicine approaches.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to provide researchers and clinicians a platform to share cutting-edge research, foster interdisciplinary collaborations and promote a deeper understanding of the emerging roles of epigenetic regulators in inflammatory disease pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Biomolecules.

Dr. Guanjun Yang
Dr. Renyikun Yuan
Prof. Dr. Christina Piperi
Guest Editors

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