More research must be done to investigate the role of air pollution on the epigenome in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), in order to develop strategies that minimize the effects of these pollutants, according to a new article published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
ILDs are a group of serious respiratory diseases, the most common of which is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which cause scarring of lung tissue. The epigenome consists of chemical compounds and proteins that attach themselves to DNA to regulate its functions and influence which genes are being turned "on" or "off." Environmental exposures like air pollution play a critical role in modifying epigenetic factors, which is one way these exposures may contribute to disease development.