Scientists have revealed the "most comprehensive map' of human epigenomes.
The map is based on two dozen scientific papers published today, and offer the first comprehensive look at the epigenomes of a variety of human cell and tissue types, the University of California - Santa Barbara reported.
Epigenomes are patterns of chemical annotation to the human genome that determine which genes are activated. Disruptions in epigenetic control has been linked to a variety of disorders including cancer and heart disease; these new insights could lead to a better understanding of the root causes of these diseases.
"The DNA sequence of the human genome is identical in all cells of the body, but cell types-such as heart, brain or skin cells-have unique characteristics and are uniquely susceptible to various diseases," said UC San Francisco's Joseph F. Costello, PhD, director of one of four NIH Roadmap Epigenome Mapping Centers (REMC) that contributed data to the REP. "By guiding how genes are expressed, epigenomes allow cells carrying the same DNA to differentiate into the more than 200 types found in the human body."
The data includes information on 111 distinct human epigenomes from all four Roadmap Epigenome Mapping Centers (REMC) involved in the study, as well as from other labs across the globe.The findings are already being used in promising cancer research that could change the way we treat the disease.
"You've had cancer researchers studying the genome-the role of mutations, deletions, and so on-and others studying epigenomes. They've almost been working on parallel tracks, and they didn't talk to each other all that much. Over the past five or six years, there's been a reframing of the discussion, because the most recurrent mutations in cancer affect epigenomic regulators. So the way mutations in the genome play out is through epigenomic mechanisms, and major pharmaceutical companies now view epigenomes as an important target," Costello said.
The papers were published in the journal Nature as well as six other journals backed by the Nature Publishing Group. See more information on the Epigenome Roadmap HERE.
