Epigenetics of Influenza: The Host-Virus Interaction.

Abstract

With advancements in science and technology, an equivalent growth in diseases has also been observed. A disease that has remained prevalent for decades, showing an almost incomparable persistence and adaptability is influenza. With increasing research on DNA, we now know that external influences, like influenza, can successfully alter gene expression with lasting effects through epigenetics. In this chapter, the possible role that both influenza and its host play on an epigenetic level to alter each other’s gene expression will be explored along with the possible effects these epigenetic changes have on virulence, the immune system, and other cellular mechanisms.