Role of Epigenetic Modifications on Diet-Induced Metabolic Diseases

The prevalence of diet-induced metabolic diseases is rising rapidly across societies with obesity as a central risk factor. This diet-mediated increase in metabolic diseases, including insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome and cancer, will undoubtedly increase morbidity and mortality in Western societies in an unprecedented manner. The pathogenesis of some diet-induced metabolic diseases remains to be fully elucidated, although the research has recently highlighted that organ and systemic damage associated with these pathologies might be the result of a complex network of interactions between genetics and environment, potentially orchestrated by epigenetic mechanisms. The eukaryotic epigenome is postulated to counteract environmental stimuli through alterations of several chromatin features and, ultimately, gene expression. A deeper understanding of the influence of diet on epigenetic modifications, gene expression and post-transcriptional regulation may therefore contribute to move forward on the comprehension of disease pathogenesis, development of novel treatments, and useful to identify individuals at risk.

In this Research Topic, we welcome authors involved in the analysis of epigenetic modifications occurring in diet-induced metabolic diseases. We welcome the submission of articles covering, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Methods for analysing epigenetic modifications in response to nutrients.
- Studies aiming at investigating the pathogenic role (mechanisms and targeted genes) of specific epigenetic modifications in models of disease.
- Observational studies on epigenetic changes in humans affected by diet-related diseases.
- Studies on the correlation between epigenetic modifications and exposome (e.g. gut microbiome).
- Epigenetic and transcriptomics data.