[Epigenome and human disease].

Epigenetic modifications, DNA methylation and histone modifications, mark genes to be used and not to be used, and are stably inherited in somatic cells. Epigenome is their genome-wide compilation, and undergoes dynamic changes in development, differentiation, and reprogramming. Epigenomic changes are causally involved in cancer development and progression by inducing silencing of tumor-suppressor genes and genomic instability. Aberrant DNA methylation can accumulate in a large fraction of cells even in tissues without clonal lesions, which indicates that epigenomic changes can potentially affect functions of a tissue. Multiple reports show that epigenomic changes are present in acquired neurological, metabolic, and immunological disorders, and more research in the field is urgently necessary.