Epigenetic therapy

Epigenetic therapy is a form of medical therapy that seeks to reverse abnormal gene expression by modifying the function, but not the structure, of the genome. This is achieved by targeting the epigenome, a multitude of chemical compounds that tell the genome what to do.

Pronunciation

Epi-genetic therapy: /ˌɛpɪdʒɪˈnɛtɪk θɛrəpi/

Etymology

The term "epigenetic" is derived from the Greek word "epigenesis," which means "over and above" the genome. The term "therapy" is derived from the Greek word "therapeia," which means "healing."

Related Terms

• Epigenome
• Gene expression
• Genome
• Medical therapy
• Molecular biology
• Oncology

Overview

Epigenetic therapy involves the use of drugs or other epigenome-targeting techniques to reverse gene expression changes associated with cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and other conditions. It is a rapidly evolving field within molecular biology and oncology, with several epigenetic drugs already approved for use in humans.

Epigenetic therapy primarily targets two types of epigenetic modifications: DNA methylation and histone modification. DNA methylation typically acts to repress gene transcription, while histone modification can either enhance or repress gene expression depending on the specific modifications involved.

Applications

Epigenetic therapy has been most extensively studied in the context of cancer, where abnormal gene expression patterns are a hallmark of disease. Several epigenetic drugs, such as azacitidine and decitabine, have been approved for the treatment of certain types of cancer.

In addition to cancer, epigenetic therapy is being explored as a potential treatment for a variety of other diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases. However, these applications are still in the early stages of research and development.

See Also

• Epigenetics
• Epigenome
• Gene expression
• Genome
• Medical therapy
• Molecular biology
• Oncology

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Epigenetic therapy
• Wikipedia's article - Epigenetic therapy

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