The capacity of the epigenome to interpret both internal and external stimuli and alter expression programs is a critical component in normal development, aging, and disease pathogenesis. In the past decade, we have witnessed an explosion of unprecedented research on and support for epigenetics, epigenomics, and their interface with human health and disease. In this volume, Environmental Epigenomics in Health and Disease - Epigenetics and Complex Diseases, a number of leading investigators in the field of epigenetics discuss patterns of epigenomic modifications in normal cells, and how environmentally-induced changes in them are associated with disease pathogenesis. The authors comprehensively review the epigenetic adaptations that occur in human embryonic stem cells, as well as in differentiating cells and organs such as the brain when exposed to environmental factors, and discuss the legal and ethical implications of such alterations. The overall purpose of this volume and its companion, Environmental Epigenomics in Health and Disease - Epigenetics and Disease Origins, is to give readers an overview of how environmental exposures during early development can influence disease formation by disrupting epigenetic programming.
