Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital U.M. Valdecilla IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, 39008, Santander, Spain.
Service of Rheumatology, Hospital Sierrallana, Torrelavega, Spain.
Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2018 Jun;16(3):246-255. doi: 10.1007/s11914-018-0435-y.
Epigenetic mechanisms modify gene activity in a stable manner without altering DNA sequence. They participate in the adaptation to the environment, as well as in the pathogenesis of common complex disorders. We provide an overview of the role of epigenetic mechanisms in bone biology and pathology.
Extensive evidence supports the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, post-translational modifications of histone tails, and non-coding RNAs) in the differentiation of bone cells and mechanotransduction. A variety of epigenetic abnormalities have been described in patients with osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and skeletal cancers, but their actual pathogenetic roles are still unclear. A few drugs targeting epigenetic marks have been approved for neoplastic disorders, and many more are being actively investigated. Advances in the field of epigenetics underscore the complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors as determinants of osteoporosis and other common disorders. Likewise, they help to explain the mechanisms by which prenatal and post-natal external factors, from nutrition to psychological stress, impact our body and influence the risk of later disease.
表观遗传机制在不改变 DNA 序列的情况下以稳定的方式修饰基因活性。它们参与环境适应以及常见复杂疾病的发病机制。我们提供了表观遗传机制在骨生物学和病理学中的作用概述。
大量证据支持表观遗传机制（DNA 甲基化、组蛋白尾部的翻译后修饰和非编码 RNA）在骨细胞分化和机械转导中的作用。在骨质疏松症、骨关节炎和骨骼癌患者中已经描述了多种表观遗传异常，但它们的实际发病机制尚不清楚。一些针对表观遗传标记的药物已被批准用于治疗肿瘤疾病，还有更多的药物正在积极研究中。表观遗传学领域的进展强调了遗传和环境因素作为骨质疏松症和其他常见疾病决定因素之间的复杂相互作用。同样，它们有助于解释从营养到心理压力等产前和产后外部因素如何影响我们的身体并影响以后患病的风险。
