Now a days researcher are focusing on epigenetic changes or regulation to see their relation with disease and targeting micro-RNA. Could epigenetic study bring the hope for disease therapy?
Pradip,
Absolutely! An example would be using protein structures for drug discovery. Let's say you have a disease that increases the transcription of a certain gene (i. e. cancer), and protein X is elevated in patients with the disease. You could isolate protein X, figure out its structure, and design a drug to alter its effects. I imagine you could do this for micro RNA's as well as diseased genes.
Greg
Thanks Dr, Buchan, but do yo have example of any success history for micro-RNA therapy?
DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation are particularly targeted by "epigenetic therapy" since they are modified in particular in cases of several cancers, both in solid and hematological malignancies. The use of 5 azacytidine (decitabine) is one example of such therapeutic use of epigenetic modifiers. Another development (not yet approved by drug agencies, but in clinical tests) are small peptidic interactors that disrupt interactions between proteins in epigenetic regulating complexes (ie, between PRC complexes and their partners, between hydroxymethylation enzymes TET and co-factors or recruiting proteins...).
As stated above, I'm sure we can imagine a lot of different therapies to use our increasing knowledge of epigenetics.
Most of the interest in epigenetic therapeutics is focused on drugs that target histone methylation pathways. Through the first 6 months of 2014, there have been at least 9 early-stage biotech companies that have raised significant capital (> US$300M in aggregate) to focus on the development of clinical drugs to modify epigenetic signals on histones: Syndax, Epizyme, 4SC, Resverlogix, Rodin Thera., Tensha, Syros, Zenith, Acetylon . . . .
Hi,
Yes, epigenetic alteration and it's research is one of the path to unravel the disease mechanism. As most of us know, out of the several thousands of genes that have been rolled down through our ancestors, specific gene spectrum is only expressed in a tissue and cell specific manner. Now this is where the lock and key mechanism of nature lies. With the advent of knowledge of epigenetic alterations like DNA methylation, histone PTM and miRNA regulatio, we understand the sole factor that delivers such an outlook in the tissues and cells. Disease outbreak as well as cancer has a wide spectrum epigenetic deregulations, which are being studied sporadically as well as NGS enabled whole genome analysis. Now, to pin point on a primary mechanism is very important and will be the future for next gen clinical treatments. Or as we believe.
With my limited knowledge in the field of arsenic toxicology, epigenetic alterations is done mainly due to depletion of SAM. We like many others are trying to formulate ways to counter this depletion, for which at present SAM supplements and lower arsenic consumption seems the right way. But that is a different story.
In short, it is epigenetics and epigenetic based molecular therapy that can bring about proper target to ameliorate diseased outcomes.
Thank you.
- Badges
- Science topic