Epigenetics and allergy: from basic mechanisms to clinical applications.
Allergic diseases are on the rise in the Western world and well-known allergy-protecting and -driving factors such as microbial and dietary exposure, pollution and smoking mediate their influence through alterations of the epigenetic landscape. Here, we review key facts on the involvement of epigenetic modifications in allergic diseases and summarize and critically evaluate the lessons learned from epigenome-wide association studies. We show the potential of epigenetic changes for various clinical applications: as diagnostic tools, to assess tolerance following immunotherapy or possibly predict the success of therapy at an early time point. Furthermore, new technological advances such as epigenome editing and DNAzymes will allow targeted alterations of the epigenome in the future and provide novel therapeutic tools.
Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.|International Inflammation (in-FLAME) Network, Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).|German Centre for Lung Research (DZL).|John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland.
Daniel P
DP
Potaczek
Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.|International Inflammation (in-FLAME) Network, Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).|German Centre for Lung Research (DZL).
Hani
H
Harb
Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co KG, Planegg, Germany.
Sven
S
Michel
Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Bilal Alashkar
BA
Alhamwe
Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.|International Inflammation (in-FLAME) Network, Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).|German Centre for Lung Research (DZL).
Harald
H
Renz
Laboratory for Epigenetics & Environment, Centre National de Génotypage, CEA-Institut de Génomique, Evry, France.
Jörg
J
Tost
D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods*; D000072669:Gene Editing; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D007167:Immunotherapy
DNA methylation; EWAS; FOXP3; Th cell lineages; allergy; asthma; cell-free DNA; environment; epigenetic editing; exposure; food allergy; immunotherapy