Epigenomics of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex lung disease of unknown etiology. Development of IPF is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Gene-expression profiling studies have taught us quite a bit about the biology of this fatal disease, but epigenetic marks may be the missing link that connects the environmental exposure in genetically predisposed individuals to transcriptome changes associated with the development of IPF. This review will begin with an introduction to the disease, followed by brief summaries of studies of gene expression in IPF and epigenetic marks associated with exposures relevant to IPF. The majority of the discussion will focus on epigenetic studies conducted so far in IPF, the limitations, challenges nd future directions in this field.