Epigenetics in immune development and in allergic and autoimmune diseases

• Epigenetic mechanisms are critical for normal immune development.
• Epigenetic mechanisms provide a mechanistic framework for understanding how the environment affects genes.
• Disruption in epigenetic pathways has been associated with immune diseases.
• In this review we cover the epigenetic aspects of immune development and disease.

Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and micro RNA signaling regulate the activity of the genome. Virtually all aspects of immunity involve some level of epigenetic regulation, whether it be host defense or in mediating tolerance. These processes are critically important in mediating dynamic responses to the environment over the life course of the individual, yet we are only just beginning to understand how dysregulation in these pathways may play a role in immune disease. Here, we give a brief chronological overview of epigenetic processes during immune development in health and disease.