Epigenetic Insights in Human Birth Defects

Dear Colleagues,

The great majority of birth defects (or congenital disorders) are described as traits where their etiology is related to interactions between environmental factors and genetic variants. Regarding their genetic etiology, only a low proportion of their heritability can be explained by genetic factors. Thus, missing heritability has been described for these traits, which might reflect epigenetic effects. In the last decade, many studies have been focused on the role of epigenetics in prevalent birth defects, such as neural tube defects or orofacial clefts. The purpose of this Special Issue, entitled “Epigenetic insights in human birth defects”, is to compile high-impact reviews and original articles regarding the relationship between epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, histone modification, miRNA, etc.) in the risk of birth defects, with the aim of disentangling their etiology. 

Dr. José Suazo
Guest Editor

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• birth defects
• epigenetics
• human embryo development
• molecular pathways
• gene expression
• epigenetic marks