NIH ROADMAP scientists map epigenome of more than 100 tissue and cell types in Nature

February 18, 2015

Researchers from the NIH Common Fund’s Roadmap Epigenomics Program published a description of the epigenome maps in the journal Nature. More than 20 additional papers, published in Nature and Nature-associated journals, show how these maps can be used to study human biology.

Integrative analysis of 111 reference human epigenomes
(Reference: Roadmap Epigenomics Consortium. 2015. Integrative analysis of 111 reference human epigenomes. Nature; doi: 10.1038/nature14248.)

The Roadmap Epigenomics Project presents a wealth of epigenomes, a resource that provides a plethora of new hypotheses to be tested in relation to human health and disease. The current papers use innovative analytical approaches to uncover new mechanisms and pathways, to deepen and extend previous groundbreaking observations.

While the Roadmap Epigenomics Project has reached a major milestone, the epigenomes of 127 cell types are just the beginning of the road to a comprehensive epigenome encyclopaedia. The International Human Epigenome Consortium plans to determine the epigenomes of every cell type in the human body — estimated to be several hundred to a thousand.

Dr Henk Stunnenberg, Chair of the International Scientific Steering Committee of IHEC

Epigenome Roadmap Collection

Nature has also published an “epigenome roadmap” collection, which contains all relevant articles from the NIH Roadmap release, and additional background material. We invite you to explore the research content, the News & Views, a video and other associated material here.

NIH Press Release

The Press Release associated with the papers can be found on the website of the NIH.

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