EPIGENETICS IN HUMAN DISEASE, 1ST EDITION

Preface
Contributors
Chapter 1. Epigenetics of Human Disease
Chapter 2. Methods and Strategies to Determine Epigenetic Variation in Human Disease
Chapter 3. DNA Methylation Alterations in Human Cancers
Chapter 4. Alterations of Histone Modifications in Cancer
Chapter 5. MicroRNA in Oncogenesis
Chapter 6. Epigenetic Approaches to Cancer Therapy
Chapter 7. Epigenomics in Neurobehavioral Diseases
Chapter 8. Emerging Role of Epigenetics in Human Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Chapter 9. The Epigenetics of Alzheimer’s Disease
Chapter 10. Epigenetic Modulation of Human Neurobiological Disorders
Chapter 11. Epigenetic Basis of Autoimmune Disorders in Humans
Chapter 12. Approaches to Autoimmune Diseases Using Epigenetic Therapy
Chapter 13. Epigenetic Mechanisms of Human Imprinting Disorders
Chapter 14. Epigenomic Factors in Human Obesity
Chapter 15. Epigenetic Approaches to Control Obesity
Chapter 16. Epigenetics of Diabetes in Humans
Chapter 17. The Potential of Epigenetic Compounds in Treating Diabetes
Chapter 18. Epigenetic Aberrations in Human Allergic Diseases
Chapter 19. Therapy of Airway Disease: Epigenetic Potential
Chapter 20. The Role of Epigenetics in Cardiovascular Disease
Chapter 21. Epigenetics and Human Infectious Diseases
Chapter 22. The Epigenetics of Endometriosis
Chapter 23. Aberrant DNA Methylation in Endometrial Cancer
Chapter 24. Stem Cell Epigenetics and Human Disease
Chapter 25. Non-Coding RNA Regulatory Networks, Epigenetics, and Programming Stem Cell Renewal and Differentiation:
Chapter 26. Aging and Disease: The Epigenetic Bridge
Chapter 27. Early-Life Epigenetic Programming of Human Disease and Aging
References
Index

Epigenetics is one of the fastest growing fields of sciences, illuminating studies of human diseases by looking beyond genetic make-up and acknowledging that outside factors play a role in gene expression. The goal of this volume is to highlight those diseases or conditions for which we have advanced knowledge of epigenetic factors such as cancer, autoimmune disorders and aging as well as those that are yielding exciting breakthroughs in epigenetics such as diabetes, neurobiological disorders and cardiovascular disease. Where applicable, attempts are made to not only detail the role of epigenetics in the etiology, progression, diagnosis and prognosis of these diseases, but also novel epigenetic approaches to the treatment of these diseases. Chapters are also presented on human imprinting disorders, respiratory diseases, infectious diseases and gynecological and reproductive diseases. Since epigenetics plays a major role in the aging process, advances in the epigenetics of aging are highly relevant to many age-related human diseases. Therefore, this volume closes with chapters on aging epigenetics and breakthroughs that have been made to delay the aging process through epigenetic approaches. With its translational focus, this book will serve as valuable reference for both basic scientists and clinicians alike.

Key Features
• Comprehensive coverage of fundamental and emergent science and clinical usage
• Side-by-side coverage of the basis of epigenetic diseases and their treatments
• Evaluation of recent epigenetic clinical breakthroughs

Author
Trygve Tollefsbol
Professor of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL. Dr. Tollefsbol is a Professor of Biology and a Senior Scientist in the Center for Aging, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nutrition Obesity Research Center, and the Comprehensive Diabetes Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He is Director of the UAB Cell Senescence Culture Facility which he established in 1999 and a Steering Committee Member of the UAB Center for Aging. Dr. Tollefsbol trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Assistant Research Professor with members of the National Academy of Science at Duke University and the University of North Carolina. He earned doctorates in molecular biology and osteopathic medicine from the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center and his bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Houston. He has received prior funding from the NIA, NCI, NHLBI, NIMH and other federal institutes as well as the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) among many other sources. The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research funding was unsolicited and was awarded to Dr. Tollefsbol for lifetime contributions to the field of aging. In 2006 Dr. Tollefsbol was selected and highlighted as part of the 25th anniversary of the AFAR for significant contributions to aging research. Dr. Tollefsbol’s research interests have covered a wide range of topics such as aging, epigenetics, nutrition, cancer, telomerase, and caloric restriction. Work from his laboratory has been featured in Women’s Health magazine, Shape magazine, and the AICR Newsletter and Dr. Tollefsbol has been a Scientist in the Spotlight in ScienceNow. Currently he serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Epigenomics and is on the Editorial Boards of the international journals Open Longevity Science, Epigenetics of Diabetes and Obesity, Molecular Biotechnology and Clinical Epigenetics. He is also a contributing Editor of Lewin’s GENES X classic textbook. Over 25 of the publications from Dr. Tollefsbol’s laboratory have received national or international accolades such as best paper award, selection for press release by the journal editors and featured on the journal homepage. Dr. Tollefsbol has been invited to give presentations on his research in many countries including Germany, China, Italy, Switzerland, France and The Netherlands as well as at various leading institutions in the US such as Harvard Medical School, Tufts University and the University of California at San Francisco. His research has received considerable media attention both nationally and internationally through television, newspaper and radio venues and has been highlighted in eScience News and ScienceDaily. He has ten books which have been published or are in progress and a recent book on “Epigenetics of Aging” that Dr. Tollefsbol co-authored and edited was highlighted in Nature.