The role of epigenetics in genetic and environmental epidemiology.
Epidemiology is the branch of science that investigates the causes and distribution of disease in populations in order to provide preventative measures and promote human health. The fields of genetic and environmental epidemiology primarily seek to identify genetic and environmental risk factors for disease, respectively. Epigenetics is emerging as an important piece of molecular data to include in these studies because it can provide mechanistic insights into genetic and environmental risk factors for disease, identify potential intervention targets, provide biomarkers of exposure, illuminate gene-environment interactions and help localize disease-relevant genomic regions. Here, we describe the importance of including epigenetics in genetic and environmental epidemiology studies, provide a conceptual framework when considering epigenetic data in population-based studies and touch upon the many challenges that lie ahead.
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Christine
C
Ladd-Acosta
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
M Daniele
MD
Fallin
D015415:Biomarkers; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004777:Environment; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004813:Epidemiology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans
D015415:Biomarkers
environmental epidemiology; epidemiology; epigenomics; genetic epidemiology; genomics