Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Allergy and Neonatology, Hannover, Germany.
Biochimie. 2012 Nov;94(11):2231-41. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.07.017. Epub 2012 Jul 31.
Epigenetic mechanisms are likely to play a role in many complex diseases, the extent of which we only beginning to understand. COPD and asthma are two respiratory diseases subject to strong environmental influences depending on underlying genetic susceptibility. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNA may be involved in these processes by modulating environmental effects to influence disease development. Given their demonstrated modifiable nature, epigenetic mechanisms may open new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. Here we give an overview of recent developments in the field of respiratory epigenetics in relation to asthma and COPD in the context of our current understanding of mechanisms leading to such diseases.
表观遗传机制可能在许多复杂疾病中发挥作用，而我们才刚刚开始了解其作用的程度。COPD 和哮喘是两种受遗传易感性影响的呼吸系统疾病，强烈依赖于环境因素。表观遗传机制，如 DNA 甲基化、组蛋白修饰和 microRNA，可能通过调节环境影响来参与这些过程，从而影响疾病的发展。鉴于它们已被证明具有可修饰性，因此表观遗传机制可能为治疗干预提供新的可能性。在本文中，我们概述了呼吸表观遗传学领域的最新进展，以及我们目前对导致这些疾病的机制的理解，探讨了其与哮喘和 COPD 的关系。
