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© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

The epigenome represents a vast molecular apparatus that writes, reads, and erases chemical modifications to the DNA and histone code without changing the DNA base-pair sequence itself. Recent advances in molecular sequencing technology have revealed that epigenetic chromatin marks directly mediate critical events in retinal development, aging, and degeneration. Epigenetic signaling regulates retinal progenitor (RPC) cell cycle exit during retinal laminar development, giving rise to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), amacrine cells, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, photoreceptors, and Müller glia. Age-related epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation in the retina and optic nerve are accelerated in pathogenic conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, but reversing these epigenetic marks may represent a novel therapeutic target. Epigenetic writers also integrate environmental signals such as hypoxia, inflammation, and hyperglycemia in complex retinal conditions such as diabetic retinopathy (DR) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors protect against apoptosis and photoreceptor degeneration in animal models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The epigenome represents an intriguing therapeutic target for age-, genetic-, and neovascular-related retinal diseases, though more work is needed before advancement to clinical trials.

Details

Title
Advances in Ophthalmic Epigenetics and Implications for Epigenetic Therapies: A Review
Author
Moore, Spencer M 1 ; Christoforidis, John B 2 

 Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ 85711, USA 
 Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ 85711, USA; Retina Specialists of Southern Arizonam, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA 
First page
417
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20734425
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2779498323
Copyright
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.