DNA Methylation News and Research

RSS

DNA methylation is a type of chemical modification of DNA that can be inherited and subsequently removed without changing the original DNA sequence. As such, it is part of the epigenetic code and is also the most well characterized epigenetic mechanism.

Research suggests new ways to mitigate impact of mistreatment at early age

Everyone has challenges of one kind or another. But research shows that mistreatment at an early age can have long-lasting and life-altering repercussions that could be passed to future generations.

17 Nov 2017

Researchers investigate how component of soy may suppress breast cancer development

A University of Arizona Cancer Center research team is engaged in a series of studies to investigate how genistein, a component of soy foods, might suppress the development of breast cancer.

31 Oct 2017

NASA’s “Twins Study” explores the effects space travel has on the human body

Preliminary results from NASA’s Twins Study have revealed some of the bodily changes that occurred in an astronaught, who spent almost one year in space, compared with his twin brother, who remained on earth.

30 Oct 2017

Researchers identify important mechanism of epigenetic gene regulation

How can defective gene activity, which can ultimately lead to cancer, be avoided? Researchers at the University of Zurich have now identified a mechanism how cells pass on the regulation of genetic information through epigenetic modifications. These insights open the door to new approaches for future cancer treatments.

30 Oct 2017

Researchers mine blood-based epigenetic data to gain insights into autism biology

Using data from blood and brain tissue, a team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that they could gain insights into mechanisms that might help explain autism by analyzing the interplay between genes and chemical tags that control whether genes are used to make a protein, called epigenetic marks.

25 Oct 2017

Mysterious DNA modification appears more in the brain under stress

With advances in genomics, scientists are discovering additional components of the DNA alphabet in animals. Do these unusual chemical modifications of DNA have a special meaning, or are they just signs that cellular machines are making mistakes?

24 Oct 2017

Better post-weaning diet can reverse potential consequences of early-life high-fat exposure

Research has shown that a mother's diet during pregnancy, particularly one that is high-fat, may program her baby for future risk of certain diseases such as diabetes. A new study from nutrition researchers at the University of Illinois shows that switching the offspring to a new diet--a low-fat diet, in this case--can reverse that programming.

20 Oct 2017

Researchers develop new diagnostic and prognosis method for early detection of liver cancer

An international team of researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, with colleagues at Sun Yet-sun University Cancer Center and other collaborating institutions, have developed a new diagnostic and prognosis method for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on a simple blood sample containing circulating tumor DNA.

9 Oct 2017

Researchers find genetic variation linked to effects of prenatal alcohol exposure

Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have found a genetic variation, which associates with the damage caused by maternal alcohol consumption. This genetic variation clarifies the role of genetic factors in the alcohol-induced developmental disorders and could be useful in future diagnostics.

5 Oct 2017

Epigenetic changes triggered by cigarette smoke may be earliest step in lung cancer development

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have preliminary evidence in laboratory-grown, human airway cells that a condensed form of cigarette smoke triggers so-called "epigenetic" changes in the cells consistent with the earliest steps toward lung cancer development.

12 Sep 2017

Phthalate levels in expectant fathers influence sperm epigenetics, study suggests

Early results from a larger, ongoing study led by environmental health scientist Richard Pilsner at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggest that phthalate levels in expectant fathers have an effect on couples' reproductive success via epigenetic modifications of sperm DNA.

12 Sep 2017

Maternal folic acid intake round conception may reduce children's pesticide-related autism risk

Researchers at UC Davis and other institutions have shown that mothers who take recommended amounts of folic acid around conception might reduce their children's pesticide-related autism risk.

8 Sep 2017

Increased enzyme production by the liver causes fatty liver, obesity and insulin resistance

In mice that are given a high-fat diet, an increased production of the enzyme DPP4 by the liver promotes an increase in body fat, the development of fatty liver disease and insulin resistance.

24 Aug 2017

Researchers investigate genetic mutations in sperm cells to help prevent birth defects

It's about preventing birth defects. Associate pharmaceutical sciences professor Wenfeng An and his team at South Dakota State University are investigating mobile DNA segments, known as L1s, in sperm cells with the goal to treat families at risk for genetic mutations before they conceive.

10 Aug 2017

Gestational exposure to diesel exhaust could increase susceptibility to adult heart failure

According to a study published online in The FASEB Journal, involving mice, gestational exposure to airborne particles derived from diesel exhaust can modify DNA in utero and alter the expression of genes that potentially increase susceptibility to adult heart failure.

7 Aug 2017

Epigenetic dysregulation with age in normal breast tissue may contribute to cancer risk

Several known factors are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer including increasing age, being overweight after menopause, alcohol intake, and family history.

20 Jul 2017

Study identifies potential treatment for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Two commonly used drugs erased the learning and memory deficits caused by fetal alcohol exposure when the drugs were given after birth, thus potentially identifying a treatment for the disorder, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

18 Jul 2017

Scientists develop new method to accurately determine functional age of cells

Sure, you know how old you are, but what about your cells? Are they the same age? Are they older, younger? Why does it matter?

11 Jul 2017

Research underscores how environments during infancy can cause inflammation in adulthood

New Northwestern University research underscores how environmental conditions early in development can cause inflammation in adulthood - an important risk factor for a wide range of diseases of aging, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and dementia.

4 Jul 2017

Discovery of T cell exhaustion offers new pathway to more powerful immunotherapies

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital immunologists have discovered how immune cells called T cells become "exhausted" -- unable to do their jobs of attacking invaders such as cancer cells or viruses.

28 Jun 2017