Preface

Much of the field of epigenetics arose from developmental biology and the attempt to answer some conceptually simple questions. The main ones were probably:

• Do all the cells in the body contain the same genomic information, and if so, how do so many different stable cell types develop?

• Why do you need an egg and a sperm to create a new mammal, why won’t two sperm or two eggs do the same job?

Conceptually simple questions, but ones which have led to a field with impact on multiple areas of biology, human health and new treatments for disease.

Epigenetics refers broadly, at a molecular level, to heritable modifications to DNA and its associated proteins which do not alter gene sequence but do alter how genes are expressed. The modifications may influence gene expression transiently, mediating responses to passing environmental stimuli. Or they may control gene expression for the entire length of a human life, maintaining multiple cellular types from one unchanging genome.

Epigenetics has shifted in the last 5 to 10 years, from a somewhat niche research area to centre stage, both in fundamental research and in drug discovery. This volume aims to cover both the pure and applied areas of this discipline, because in such a rapidly evolving science integration is vital. So this publication highlights not just the successes in epigenetic drug discovery, but also the gaps in our understanding. These range from applying personalised medicine strategies to designing reliable assays; from exploring new chemical space to changing the dosing paradigm in the clinic; from identifying relevant biomarkers to rethinking how we identify and de-risk new theoretical toxicological issues.

The cross-section of scientists from academia and industry who have contributed the chapters for this volume represent the multidisciplinary approach that is driving this field.

I am hugely grateful to them all, and to the editors at the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Nessa Carey