Center of Experimental Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Immunol Lett. 2022 Sep;249:1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2022.08.001. Epub 2022 Aug 7.
Over the past 70 years, the study of epigenetics has evolved from a research curiosity for outsiders to one of the most hyped biological concepts. While the pioneers of epigenetic research were met with disbelief when they described phenomena that did not follow the normal Mendelian laws of inheritance, the popular media today praises the modulation of epigenetics through behavioral changes as a cure for diseases. The concept that environmental influences can cause stable, heritable changes in gene expression has been embraced with such enthusiasm that the study of epigenetics has found its place in virtually every medical biology field. Because of the somewhat inflationary way in which the word epigenetics is used nowadays, it is all the more important to clarify definitions and terms before talking about epigenetic studies.
在过去的 70 年中,表观遗传学的研究已经从一个局外人的研究好奇心发展到最热门的生物学概念之一。虽然表观遗传学研究的先驱在描述不符合正常孟德尔遗传规律的现象时,遭到了怀疑,但今天的大众媒体却称赞通过行为改变来调节表观遗传,将其作为治疗疾病的方法。环境影响可以导致基因表达的稳定、可遗传的变化的这一概念,已经被人们如此热情地接受,以至于表观遗传学的研究几乎在每个医学生物学领域都找到了一席之地。由于如今“表观遗传学”一词的使用有些夸张,因此在讨论表观遗传学研究之前,澄清定义和术语就显得尤为重要。