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.

Unraveling psychiatric disorders with cutting-edge epigenetic tools

The "Innovators & Ideas: Rising Star" section of Genomic Psychiatry features an illuminating "Genomic Press Interview" with Dr. Pierre-Eric Lutz, a rising star in the field of neuro-epigenetics.

5 Sep 2024

Astrocytes reprogrammed to brain stem cells through methylation

Resting brain stem cells hardly differ from normal astrocytes, which support the nerve cells in the brain.

4 Sep 2024

Redefining 5hmC: More than just a stepping stone in the DNA demethylation pathway

An important DNA modification is methylation, or the addition of a methyl group to the 5th carbon of cytosine. This forms 5-methylcytosine (5mC), typically associated with repression of gene expression.

From biomodal 30 Aug 2024

Research highlights potential of blood epigenetics for dementia risk assessment

New research suggests that epigenetic markers in the blood could be useful for understanding dementia risk.

28 Aug 2024

CDCA7 identified as key player in hemimethylation sensing

DNA methylation is a process in which a methyl group is attached to the cytosine base of the DNA molecule, and a major way that DNA is epigenetically marked.

28 Aug 2024

Study illuminates CDCA7's role in DNA methylation

DNA methylation, a process by which methyl groups are added to DNA molecules, is essential for the maintenance of DNA and the overall health of an organism.

27 Aug 2024

Grandparental education predicts grandchildren's biological age

Eating well, exercising and attending regular doctor appointments can support a long healthy life, but a new study identified one possible factor beyond our control: whether you had a grandparent who went to college. The study, from researchers at Drexel University and colleagues from the University of California and the University of North Carolina, was recently published in the journal Social Science and Medicine.

27 Aug 2024

Breakthrough research unveils retroelement-based aging biomarkers

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the epigenetics company TruDiagnostic have uncovered DNA markers associated with retroelements, remnants of ancient viral genetic material, in our genes that act as highly accurate epigenetic clocks predicting chronological age.

19 Aug 2024

Understanding the complexities of epigenetic aging clocks in health research

A new editorial was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 14 on July 17, 2024, entitled, "Recalibrate concepts of epigenetic aging clocks in human health."

14 Aug 2024

Study suggests maternal adverse childhood experiences may become biologically embedded

Researchers investigated the transfer of biological embedding of life experience across generations by evaluating traumatic childhood experiences of mothers and epigenetic clocks in pregnant mothers and their newborn offspring.

13 Aug 2024

Prenatal BPA exposure tied to autism risk in boys

Study reveals that prenatal exposure to BPA disrupts aromatase activity in male brains, potentially leading to autism-like symptoms. Treatment with 10-HDA shows promise in reversing these effects.

11 Aug 2024

Study advances understanding of complex neurological disorder

To effectively treat a disease or disorder, doctors must first know the root cause. Such is the case for developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), whose root causes can be hugely complex and heterogeneous. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrated the value of DNA methylation patterns for identifying the root cause of DEEs, showing specific gene methylation and genome-wide methylation "episignatures" can help identify the genes that cause DEE. The findings were published today in Nature Communications.

7 Aug 2024

Advanced technology and AI used to diagnose rare diseases and birth abnormalities

Researchers at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and Lawson Health Research Institute are using advanced technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose rare diseases and prenatal exposure-related birth abnormalities in two studies published today in American Journal of Human Genetics and Genetics in Medicine.

31 Jul 2024

Vegan diet may slow aging

Vegan diets showed short-term benefits on epigenetic aging compared to omnivorous diets in healthy twins, with reduced epigenetic age metrics observed in the vegan group. However, telomere length and overall mitotic clock values remained unchanged for both diets.

31 Jul 2024

Can diet alter your biological age?

Research shows that healthy diets lower epigenetic age while added sugar accelerates aging in midlife Black and White women.

31 Jul 2024

Losing loved ones accelerates biological aging and impacts long-term health

Familial loss is linked to accelerated biological aging, especially when losses occur in adulthood, highlighting the long-term health impacts of bereavement.

30 Jul 2024

Epigenetic reprogramming and hypothalamic changes in metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifaceted disorder that impacts approximately 20–25% of the global population.

30 Jul 2024

Losing a loved one linked to faster biological aging

Losing someone close, like a family member, can make you age faster, says a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center.

29 Jul 2024

Eight-week vegan diet linked to epigenetic age reduction in identical twins

Eating a vegan diet for eight weeks is associated with reductions in biological age estimations based on levels of DNA methylation - a type of chemical modification of DNA (known as an epigenetic modification) that alters gene expression but not DNA itself.

28 Jul 2024

Understanding the epigenetic regulation of hepatic stellate cells in NAFLD

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting approximately 38% of the global population from 2016 to 2019.

25 Jul 2024