DNA Methylation News and Research

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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.

New study establishes link between prenatal stress and onset of eating disorders

Stress affects the body and can trigger illness -- from psychiatric disorders to heart disease. Humans are exposed to stress at different intensities throughout life -- as children, in adolescence, and in old age. But when is the impact of stress on our systems most powerful? Many researchers maintain that the critical effect occurs prenatally, inside the womb.

1 Jun 2017

Sperm epigenetics and fertility

Epigenetics is a system of information that lies atop DNA to control which genes are accessible, active and inactive. Each cell in your body essentially has identical DNA, but they have different patterns of expression.

18 May 2017

Children's bone health could be determined before birth, study shows

The health of children's bones could be determined before they are born, a new University of Southampton study has shown.

10 May 2017

Genetic study outlines path to personalize breast cancer risk assessment and treatment

Although the odds of developing breast cancer are nearly identical for black and white women, black women are 42 percent more likely to die from the disease. This mortality gap – driven by social and environmental, as well as biological factors – continues to persist.

4 May 2017

Phthalate exposure linked to increased risk of allergies among children

Phthalates, which are used as plasticizers in plastics, can considerably increase the risk of allergies among children.

3 May 2017

Epigenetic changes detectable at birth linked to risk of obesity

These changes, known as epigenetic modifications, control the activity of our genes without changing the actual DNA sequence. One of the main epigenetic modifications is DNA methylation, which plays a key role in embryonic development and the formation of different cell types, regulating when and where genes are switched on.

26 Apr 2017

BWH researchers develop ‘age-predicting clock’ for studying how to extend lifespan

Lots of factors can contribute to how fast an organism ages: diet, genetics and environmental interventions can all influence lifespan.

6 Apr 2017

Paternal diet affects cognitive skills of offspring, mice study shows

The father's lifestyle affects the cognitive skills of his offspring -- at least in mice. Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases have now shown that if male rodents are fed a diet rich in folic acid, methionine and vitamin B12, their progeny do not perform well in memory tests.

4 Apr 2017

Scientists uncover how tumor cells can switch disguises to spread easily around the body

Scientists have uncovered how tumor cells in aggressive uterine cancer can switch disguises and spread so quickly to other parts of the body.

30 Mar 2017

High concentrations of stress hormone affect DNA processes and mental health

High concentrations of the stress hormone, Cortisol, in the body affect important DNA processes and increase the risk of long-term psychological consequences.

28 Mar 2017

Researchers uncover gene mutation that may provide answers to unexplained female infertility

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Rice University have uncovered a gene mutation that may provide answers to unexplained female infertility. The study appears in Scientific Reports, a member of the Nature family of journals.

22 Mar 2017

Methylation status of ten positions in genome correlates with all-cause mortality

Various chemical modifications in the genome determine whether genes are read or deactivated. Methyl labels in the DNA play a key role in this "epigenetic" regulation of gene activity.

20 Mar 2017

First physiological test opens door to early diagnosis of autism

An algorithm based on levels of metabolites found in a blood sample can accurately predict whether a child is on the Autism spectrum of disorder (ASD), based upon a recent study.

16 Mar 2017

Factors contributing to childhood adiposity begin before birth, study shows

A new article, published in the journal BMC Medicine, reports the largest epigenome-wide association study to date that provides evidence that factors contributing to childhood adiposity (level of body fat) begin before birth and are influenced by mother’s lifestyle, and fetal genetic and epigenetic factors.

9 Mar 2017

Computational software that evaluates DNA samples may help in diagnosis, treatment of cancer

A research team from the United States and Canada has developed and successfully tested new computational software that determines whether a human DNA sample includes an epigenetic add-on linked to cancer and other adverse health conditions.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 24 Feb 2017

Lack of methyl groups in gene body may lead to emergence of cancer

Every cell in our body contains the complete DNA library. So-called methyl groups regulate that in body tissues only the genetic information is expressed that is indeed needed in this tissue.

23 Feb 2017

Epigenetic changes that affect formation of new muscle cells may be contributing factor to obesity

Obesity is associated with reduced muscle mass and impaired metabolism. Epigenetic changes that affect the formation of new muscle cells may be a contributing factor, according to new research from Lund University, Sweden.

22 Feb 2017

Children of parents affected with C9orf72 mutations more likely to have FTD and ALS at younger age

The most common genetic cause of the brain diseases frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a mutation in the C9orf72 gene.

14 Feb 2017

TSRI study offers first look at early stages of brain development in patients with Fragile X syndrome

A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute is giving researchers a first look at the early stages of brain development in patients with Fragile X syndrome, a disorder that causes mild to severe intellectual disability and is the most common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder.

31 Jan 2017

JAX researchers unravel mechanism that enables cancer cells to survive and divide

Some cancer cells have a trick up their sleeve to avoid cell death: boosting maintenance of telomeres, the protective "end caps" on chromosomes, and a research team led by Jackson Laboratory Professor Roel Verhaak reports in Nature Genetics on a newly discovered telomere maintenance mechanism.