About this Research Topic
Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone protein post-translational modification, determine the distinct gene expression profile in a specific cell. Disruptions of these epigenetic modifications resulting from environmental exposures can lead to dysregulation of gene function without altering the DNA sequence. As epigenetic abnormalities depend on the interplay between genes and the environment, they are often phenotypically variable, which fits well with the broad phenotypic spectrum of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) and other kidney disease. Therefore, understanding the epigenetic basis of kidney development and disease might provide new insights into the pathological mechanisms of kidney disease and, hopefully, open new avenues to treat or prevent kidney disease. The manuscripts in this Research Topic will provide recent advances on epigenetic regulation of kidney development and disease.
Low nephron endowment at birth and the consequent reduction in functional renal mass increases the risk for developing hypertension and progressive kidney disease later in life. The total number of nephrons in the human kidney is set at birth but can vary widely from as few as 200,000 to more than 2,000,000. Gene-environment interactions are among the important determinants of nephron number. It remains largely unknown on how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to kidney development, especially nephron endowment. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem worldwide. CKD can begin in early life by so-called "developmental programming. Early exposure to an adverse environment has an influence on later life outcomes. Thus, there is also a critical need to investigate the epigenetic mechanism in kidney diseases for the effective prevention and treatment. Epigenetics has become an important topic in cancer research during the last decade, and its role in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of kidney malignancies appears to be a promising field. Epigenetics has also become a promising field in kidney cancer research. Epigenetic therapy had now taken center stage in the cancer world. Drugs targeting these epigenetic changes are now a promising form of cancer prevention and treatment.
We welcome the submission of all article types concerning, but not limited to, the following research areas:
- Epigenetic regulation of kidney development
- Epigenetic mechanisms of chronic kidney disease
- Epigenetic mechanisms of acute kidney injury
- Epigenetic regulation of kidney tumorigenesis
Descriptive studies (e.g. gene expression profiles, or transcript, protein, or metabolite levels under particular conditions or in a particular cell type) and studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic / transcriptomic data do not fall within the scope of the journal unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied.
Low nephron endowment at birth and the consequent reduction in functional renal mass increases the risk for developing hypertension and progressive kidney disease later in life. The total number of nephrons in the human kidney is set at birth but can vary widely from as few as 200,000 to more than 2,000,000. Gene-environment interactions are among the important determinants of nephron number. It remains largely unknown on how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to kidney development, especially nephron endowment. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem worldwide. CKD can begin in early life by so-called "developmental programming. Early exposure to an adverse environment has an influence on later life outcomes. Thus, there is also a critical need to investigate the epigenetic mechanism in kidney diseases for the effective prevention and treatment. Epigenetics has become an important topic in cancer research during the last decade, and its role in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of kidney malignancies appears to be a promising field. Epigenetics has also become a promising field in kidney cancer research. Epigenetic therapy had now taken center stage in the cancer world. Drugs targeting these epigenetic changes are now a promising form of cancer prevention and treatment.
We welcome the submission of all article types concerning, but not limited to, the following research areas:
- Epigenetic regulation of kidney development
- Epigenetic mechanisms of chronic kidney disease
- Epigenetic mechanisms of acute kidney injury
- Epigenetic regulation of kidney tumorigenesis
Descriptive studies (e.g. gene expression profiles, or transcript, protein, or metabolite levels under particular conditions or in a particular cell type) and studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic / transcriptomic data do not fall within the scope of the journal unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied.
Keywords: Epigenetic, kidney development, chronic kidney disease, kidney cancer, kidney disease prevention, kidney disease treatment
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
