Dear Colleagues,

The epidemiological transition of diseases in recent decades, in the form of numerous chronic, inflammatory, degenerative and neoplastic diseases, with an alarming lowering of the age of onset, represents an unprecedented serious public health issue. It urges us to encourage the convergence of perspectives and interventions by the scientific community.

The parallel increase in the prevalence of numerous diseases and the worrying anticipation of the age of onset have drawn increasing attention to the study of embryo-fetal ontogenesis. Long considered a mere execution of predefined instructions written in DNA, the events of intrauterine growth currently appear in a completely different light, thanks to knowledge derived from epigenetics. Findings in this field have made it possible to understand that embryo-fetal ontogenesis is the most important time window for animal life and, particularly for human beings, it has relevant implications, both in the evolutionary and biomedical fields.

The traditional model of linear genetics and correlation of the genotype-phenotype have become increasingly unsuitable to explain epidemiological and clinical findings of the evolving scenario of diseases. A fluid genome model—made up of the DNA sequence, the dynamics and structure of histones responsive to information from the surrounding environment—seems a more plausible paradigm.

Besides the control of cell differentiation, and the development of embryonic tissues and organs during ontogenesis, the epigenetic machinery explains the tuning of predictive adaptive responses acting to program the limits of lifetime physiologic adaptations, modulating the risk for diseases. Among the factors modulating epigenetic machinery, the evidence supports a relevant impact of microbiota in determining the lifetime risk for disease. In fact, numerous studies show correlations between dysbiosis and the risk of non-transmissible diseases.

The Special Issue “Paradigm Shift: from Genetics to Epigenetics” aims to collect original research manuscripts, short communications and reviews on the latest progresses of epigenetics mechanisms, which can explain dramatic changes in the present new epidemiological scenario, considering the role of many different pollutants, like endocrine disruptors, but not least, the role of microbiota in changing gene expression in the cells of the body.

Dr. Pier Mario Biava
Guest Editor

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• epigenetics
• ontogenesis
• stem cell differentiation
• endocrine disruptors
• nutrigenetics
• nutrigenomics
• microbioma
• microbiota