Epigenetic alterations are heritable changes that play a key role in human development and tissue-specific gene expression patterns. These changes can lead to alterations involved in tumor formation, imprinting, and metabolic disorders. Recent advances can help us understand the importance of epigenetic changes in both cancer development and tumor progression. In addition, epigenetic alterations may also be useful diagnostic and prognostic markers for the analysis of tumor progression.

Split into two parts, the book opens with a comprehensive overview of the identification and...

This new volume of the book series Epigenetics and Human Health is dedicated to microRNAs (miRNAS), regulatory non-coding RNAs that have important roles in the control of gene expression both at posttranscriptional and transcriptional levels.

Endogenous miRNAs regulate gene expression patterns in a sequence-specific manner. These short sequences may serve as potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of complex diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurocognitive disorders, respiratory diseases and pathogenic infections. Moreover, miRNAs hold promise to...