The Effect of Biological Therapies on Epigenetics in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are characterized by chronic inflammation as a result of immune system dysregulation. Epigenetic modifications of the genome are important for regulating gene expression. Epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNA interference. Biological therapies, which are common drugs for treating IBD and RA, target specific immune system components and have recently been shown to alter the epigenetics of IBD and RA patients. In this review, the differences in epigenetics between healthy individuals and IBD or RA patients are discussed, as well as the epigenetic changes that arise when IBD and RA patients are treated with biological therapies. Furthermore, biological therapies show an ability to alter disease epigenetics. However, the small number of studies on these effects limits drawing conclusions. Increasing our knowledge on epigenetic changes as a result of IBD, RA or biological therapies could improve our understanding of the potential impact of these medications on altering disease progression and could aid in the optimization of treatment for chronic inflammatory disease patients.