Epigenetic Regulation of Sebaceous and Meibomian Glands: From Development to Disease

Sebaceous glands (SGs) and their specialized subtype, Meibomian glands (MGs), play essential roles in skin and ocular surface homeostasis by producing lipids that maintain barrier integrity and stabilize the tear film. Dysregulation of SG and MG biology contributes to a spectrum of disorders, ranging from benign hyperplasia to sebaceous carcinoma and age-related MG dysfunction. Accumulating evidence highlights the importance of epigenetic regulation, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), in controlling SG and MG development, homeostasis, and disease susceptibility. Notably, histone modifiers and ncRNAs modulate acinar differentiation, lipid synthesis, and progenitor cell function. Despite these advances, many epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone lactylation, sumoylation, and phosphorylation, remain underexplored, and several common SG/MG disorders, including chalazion and seborrhea, lack mechanistic studies at the epigenetic level. This review synthesizes current knowledge on SG and MG biology, emphasizing epigenetic regulation, and highlights critical gaps to guide future research aimed at improving the understanding and treatment of SG- and MG-related disorders.