About this Research Topic
Over the past decades, large numbers of genes and genomic regions involved in human complex diseases have been revealed through linkage analysis, candidate gene study, and genome-wide linkage study. These help to determine the position of the genetic marker inherited with a complex disease.
Since 2005, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been proved to be the most powerful and efficient study design for identifying genetic variants that are associated with complex diseases. More than twenty kinds of skin diseases and traits have been investigated by this approach including psoriasis, SLE, leprosy, vitiligo, and atopic dermatitis. Recently, Next-Generation DNA Re-Sequencing and exome sequencing analysis have also been used for identifying causal genes for rare skin diseases.
Epigenetics is an old concept as the heritable changes in gene function and expression bypass alterations in the DNA sequence. There are three main epigenetic mechanisms: DNA methylation, histone modification, and RNA-associated gene silencing. There is increasing recognition for the importance of epigenetics in the pathogenesis and development of human complex diseases, and progress has been made in revealing genes involved in epigenetic mechanisms.
Genetics and epigenetics are two main disciplines which deeply expand our understanding and recognition to the pathogenesis of human complex diseases. We believe that more and more important results will be found from genetic and epigenetic studies into skin diseases in the next decades.
This Research Topic will include manuscripts representing the latest findings, new techniques, and perspectives of genetics and epigenetics into human skin diseases. Manuscript types welcomed include: research articles, basic theories, methods, and reviews (mini-review, review, meta-analysis).
The Topic Editors would like to thank Changbing Shen for his secretarial role in this Research Topic.
Keywords: Genetic, Epigenetic, Skin diseases
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.