Chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD) are main human health conditions that are persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. Common chronic non-communicable diseases include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, etc. These chronic non-communicable diseases have multifactorial aetiologies that are considered to be caused by the interaction of environmental risk factors with multiple predisposing genes.
These are exciting times for discovering the biological scope and the mechanisms of action for DNA and RNA molecules, which have a great impact on CNCD. Epigenetic modifications involving DNA methylation and histone modification play pivotal roles in development, cell differentiation, and cell identity. Inappropriate regulation of epigenetic mechanisms has been implicated in human CNCD. Moreover, there has been a recent explosion of activity in the fields of RNA epigenetics and non-coding RNAs, which have become integral parts of the field of gene expression. Both genetic and epigenetic modifications contribute to determining the outcomes of regulatory gene expression systems. Identifying epigenetic factors involved in CNCD has proven to be a promising field of research, not only to improve the knowledge of risk factors, which could be of help for prevention, but also to improve the understanding and characterization of CNCD, as well as to optimize and personalize the treatment. However, numerous actors are involved and the role of many of these are still poorly known.
Since some changes in genetic and epigenetic modifications are significant in abnormalities during development, the initial changes, dynamic and reversible properties, and diagnostic potential of epigenomic phenomena are subject to genome- and epigenome-wide association studies for therapeutic aims. The recent advancement of numerous small-molecule compounds of the epigenetic regulators is allowing to identify novel potential therapeutic approaches in the treatment of different types of CNCD. However, epigenetic-targeted therapy still needs to be expanded and studied in order to understand the mechanisms to improve the clinical outcomes. This Article Collection aims to address the recent advances made in the field of genetic and epigenetic modifications as they pertain to CNCD. Subtopics of interest include:
- Genetic and Epigenetic mechanisms of CNCD
- Small molecule compounds targeting epigenetic regulators
- New advances in epigenetic therapy to target CNCD
Dr. Tian Li devotes to the research on the mechanisms of and pharmacological strategies for chronic diseases. He is an editor of Pharmacol Res (IF: 9), Rev Endocr Metab Disord (IF: 8), and All Life (IF: 1). He has a H-index of 30 and published more than 150 SCI, including JAMA Oncol, JAMA Pediatr, EClinicalMedicine, Cytokine Growth Factor Rev, Semin Cancer Biol, Drugs, J Pineal Res, Immunol Rev, Pharmacol Res, Ageing Res Rev, Cell Mol Life Sci, Neurology, et al.
Disclosure Statement: Dr. Li declares no conflicts of interest regarding this work.
