![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Epigenetics is the process by which patterns of gene expression are modified in a mitotically heritable manner. However, these epigenetic variations are not attributable to changes in the primary nucleotide sequence within DNA. In this review, the emerging field of epigenetics is introduced and the potential role it may have in the manifestation of common ocular disease is explored. Given our current understanding of the genetic, environmental and phenotypic profiles, it is probable that stochastic epigenetic effects have an important role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract and myopia. The ability to profile individuals at an epigenetic level offers a novel means to intimately dissect gene–environment interactions.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors thank the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia and the American Health Assistance Foundation for their financial support. The Centre for Eye Research Australia receives operational infrastructure support from the Victorian government. AW Hewitt is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship and JJ Wang is supported by a NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.