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Translating the ENC yclopedia Of DNA E lements P roject findings to the clinic: ENCODE 's implications for eye disease
Author(s) -
Sanfilippo Paul G,
Hewitt Alex W
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
clinical and experimental ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.3
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1442-9071
pISSN - 1442-6404
DOI - 10.1111/ceo.12150
Subject(s) - encode , dna , gene , dna sequencing , computational biology , context (archaeology) , medicine , genetics , biology , paleontology
Approximately 10 years after the H uman G enome P roject unravelled the sequence of our DNA , the ENC yclopedia O f DNA E lements ( ENCODE ) P roject sought to interpret it. Data from the recently completed project have shed new light on the proportion of biologically active human DNA , assigning a biochemical role to much of the sequence previously considered to be ‘junk’. Many of these newly catalogued functional elements represent epigenetic mechanisms involved in regulation of gene expression. Analogous to an I shihara plate, a gene‐coding region of DNA (target dots) only comes into context when the non‐coding DNA (surrounding dots) is appreciated. In this review we provide an overview of the ENCODE project, discussing the significance of these data for ophthalmic research and eye disease. The novel insights afforded by the ENCODE project will in time allow for the development of new therapeutic strategies in the management of common blinding disorders.