1. Epigenetics: An opportunity to shape innate and adaptive immune responses
- Author
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Antonietta Liotti, Anne Lise Ferrara, Stefania Loffredo, Maria Rosaria Galdiero, Gilda Varricchi, Francesca Di Rella, Giorgia Teresa Maniscalco, Martina Belardo, Roberta Vastano, Rosaria Prencipe, Laura Pignata, Roberta Romano, Giuseppe Spadaro, Paola de Candia, Antonio Pezone, Veronica De Rosa, Liotti, A, Ferrara, Al, Loffredo, S, Galdiero, Mr, Varricchi, G, Di Rella, F, Maniscalco, Gt, Belardo, M, Vastano, R, Prencipe, R, Pignata, L, Romano, R, Spadaro, G, de Candia, P, Pezone, A, De Rosa, V., Liotti, Antonietta, Ferrara, Anne Lise, Loffredo, Stefania, Galdiero, Maria Rosaria, Varricchi, Gilda, Di Rella, Francesca, Maniscalco, Giorgia Teresa, Belardo, Martina, Vastano, Roberta, Prencipe, Rosaria, Pignata, Laura, Romano, Roberta, Spadaro, Giuseppe, de Candia, Paola, Pezone, Antonio, and De Rosa, Veronica
- Subjects
Epidrug ,adaptive immunity, autoimmunity, epidrugs, epigenetics, Foxp3, innate immunity, T-celldifferentiation, Treg cell ,Immunology ,T cell differentiation ,Immunity ,Epigenetic ,Autoimmunity ,Cell Differentiation ,Adaptive Immunity ,DNA Methylation ,Innate Immunity ,Immunity, Innate ,Epigenesis, Genetic ,Histones ,Foxp3 ,Immunology and Allergy ,Treg cells - Abstract
Epigenetics connects genetic and environmental factors: it includes DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications and the regulation of chromatin accessibility by non-coding RNAs, all of which control constitutive or inducible gene transcription. This plays a key role in harnessing the transcriptional programs of both innate and adaptive immune cells due to its plasticity and environmental-driven nature, piloting myeloid and lymphoid cell fate decision with no change in their genomic sequence. In particular, epigenetic marks at the site of lineage specific transcription factors and maintenance of cell type-specific epigenetic modifications, referred to as "epigenetic memory", dictate cell differentiation, cytokine production and functional capacity following repeated antigenic exposure in memory T cells. Moreover, metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming occurring during a primary innate immune response leads to enhanced responses to secondary challenges, a phenomenon known as "trained immunity". Here we discuss how stable and dynamic epigenetic states control immune cell identity and plasticity in physiological and pathological conditions. Dissecting the regulatory circuits of cell fate determination and maintenance is of paramount importance for understanding the delicate balance between immune cell activation and tolerance, in healthy conditions and in autoimmune diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
- Published
- 2022
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