The Future Of Epigenetic Essay

As seen earlier, the future of epigenetics is incredibly hopeful. According to some, relying more heavily on epigenetics will make healthcare more cost effective for everyone. Recent studies have shown us that single gene and microarray methods of genetic analysis have limited use in diagnosing the causes of many diseases. This is because of the rarity of many disease-causing SNPs and due to the increased understanding that many important genetic variations may exist outside of the typical coding region of a gene. Now, thanks to epigenetics, whole genome analysis has become a realistic option, both in price and the possibility of database tools and the analysis needed for genome sequencing as a whole and the interpretation of the data. The
In studies with mice, researchers have found certain molecules which could become the basis of new drugs. These drugs could change how chromatin functions to either turn on or off certain genes. In these experiments, small mice were forced to fight larger mice for a few days. They were kept in sight of each other but separated, and this caused the small mice to have a similar condition to depression in humans. By blocking the correct histones in the so called depressed mice, they had an antidepressant effect. This study shows that histones might be a possible target of new drugs. More tests need to be done before anything is for sure, but this is exciting stuff.
It opens up the possibility of a brand new type of antidepressant treatments, unlike anything we are using today. This could provide relief for patients who are not experiencing the desired results from current antidepressant medication and therapy. (10) As well as this, epigenetics could be the future of curing cancer. It could synergistically kill cancer cells by reactivating tumour-suppressor genes that had been turned off and re-sensitizing cells that are resistant to drugs. This would enhance the response to the more well known methods of killing off cancer, such as chemotherapy.