Autoimmune Disease: a View of Epigenetics and Therapeutic Targeting

Overview

Journal Front Immunol

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2024 Nov 28

PMID 39606248

Authors

Siqi Mu

Wanrong Wang

Qiuyu Liu

Naiyu Ke

Hao Li

Feiyang Sun

Jiali Zhang

Zhengwei Zhu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Autoimmune diseases comprise a large group of conditions characterized by a complex pathogenesis and significant heterogeneity in their clinical manifestations. Advances in sequencing technology have revealed that in addition to genetic susceptibility, various epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation and histone modification play critical roles in disease development. The emerging field of epigenetics has provided new perspectives on the pathogenesis and development of autoimmune diseases. Aberrant epigenetic modifications can be used as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Exploration of human epigenetic profiles revealed that patients with autoimmune diseases exhibit markedly altered DNA methylation profiles compared with healthy individuals. Targeted cutting-edge epigenetic therapies are emerging. For example, DNA methylation inhibitors can rectify methylation dysregulation and relieve patients. Histone deacetylase inhibitors such as vorinostat can affect chromatin accessibility and further regulate gene expression, and have been used in treating hematological malignancies. Epigenetic therapies have opened new avenues for the precise treatment of autoimmune diseases and offer new opportunities for improved therapeutic outcomes. Our review can aid in comprehensively elucidation of the mechanisms of autoimmune diseases and development of new targeted therapies that ultimately benefit patients with these conditions.

Citing Articles

DNA and RNA Methylation in Rheumatoid Arthritis-A Narrative Review.

Kielbowski K, Bakinowska E, Goracy-Rosik A, Figiel K, Judek R, Rosik J Epigenomes. 2025; 9(1.

PMID: 39846569 PMC: 11755448. DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes9010002.

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