Manel Esteller facts for kids
Manel Esteller is a famous scientist from Catalonia, Spain, born in 1968. He studied medicine at the University of Barcelona and became a doctor in 1996. He focused his early research on how genes can cause certain types of cancer. Later, he also studied inherited breast cancer in Scotland.
Manel Esteller is now a top expert in a field called epigenetics. He leads a research group at the Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL). He also teaches Genetics at the University of Barcelona and is the editor of a science journal called Epigenetics.
Contents
What is Epigenetics?
Manel Esteller's main work is in the field of epigenetics. Epigenetics looks at how our genes work. Imagine our DNA as a recipe book. Epigenetics explains how different parts of the recipe can be turned on or off. This happens even if the basic recipe (our genetic sequence) is the same.
How Epigenetics Works
Small changes to our DNA can happen. These changes are called histone modifications and DNA methylation. They don't change the actual DNA code. Instead, they act like switches. These switches can turn genes on or off. This can make people different, even if they are identical twins. It can also change how likely someone is to get sick.
Epigenetics and Health
Understanding epigenetics is very important for health. For example, cancer cells often have messed-up epigenetic switches. This means genes that should protect us are turned off. Or genes that cause problems are turned on. Scientists like Esteller are looking for ways to fix these switches. They hope to "restore" the normal epigenetic patterns. This could help treat diseases like cancer.
Mapping Our Epigenome
Manel Esteller believes we need a full map of all these epigenetic switches. This project is called the Human Epigenome Project (HEP). It would be like creating a detailed map of all the "on" and "off" switches in our bodies. This map could help us understand many diseases better.
Books by Manel Esteller
Manel Esteller has also shared his knowledge in books. He edited a book called "DNA Methylation: Approaches, Methods and Applications." In this book, he explains how DNA methylation plays a role in diseases, especially cancer. He also shares many different research findings on the topic.
Another book he wrote is "Epigenetics in biology and medicine." Here, he explains the main ideas of epigenetics. He also talks about new discoveries. He shows how epigenetics is connected to many things. This includes diseases, how our bodies fight sickness, and even heart problems.
See also
In Spanish: Manel Esteller para niños
