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The neonatal methylome as a gatekeeper in the trajectory to childhood asthma

Avery DeVries1,2, Donata Vercelli2,3,4,5

  • 1Graduate Program in Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Epigenomics
|March 22, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Childhood asthma epigenetics starts at birth and is influenced by prenatal exposures. DNA methylation patterns are key to understanding asthma development and the methylome's role.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory medicine
  • Epigenetics and developmental biology
  • Environmental health sciences

Background:

  • Asthma is a complex respiratory condition often starting in childhood.
  • Epigenetic mechanisms are implicated in asthma pathogenesis but not fully understood.
  • A developmental perspective is crucial for understanding childhood asthma.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the developmental trajectory of childhood asthma epigenetics.
  • To investigate the impact of prenatal environmental exposures on asthma epigenetics.
  • To analyze in vitro models of asthma-associated exposures on the human epigenome.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent research on the epigenetics of childhood asthma.
  • Analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation studies.
  • Examination of in vitro models simulating environmental exposures.

Main Results:

  • The epigenetic trajectory to childhood asthma is initiated at birth.
  • Prenatal environmental exposures can significantly affect this epigenetic trajectory.
  • Genome-wide DNA methylation surveys reveal insights into asthma pathogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic processes, particularly DNA methylation, play a critical role in childhood asthma development.
  • Understanding the methylome's involvement offers new avenues for asthma prevention and treatment.
  • A developmental and environmental perspective is essential for comprehending asthma epigenetics.

Keywords:
DNA methylationasthma trajectoryepigenetics

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