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.

Accelerated cellular aging in depressed individuals associated with increased mortality risk

Cells from healthy individuals with major depressive disorder were found to have higher than expected rates of methylation at specific sites on their DNA, when compared to cells from healthy individuals without MDD, according to a study by a multidisciplinary team of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and University of California San Francisco scientists, in collaboration with others.

8 Apr 2021

Racial diversity and poverty may influence heart-failure morbidity and mortality

Race associates with the risk of death from end-stage heart failure. So, identifying the molecular determinants of that risk may help the pursuit of the novel diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure, and its therapy.

8 Apr 2021

Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder have accelerated cellular aging

Cells from individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) were found to have higher than expected rates of methylation at specific sites on their DNA, when compared to cells from healthy individuals without MDD, according to a study by a multidisciplinary team of UC San Francisco scientists, in collaboration with others.

7 Apr 2021

Discovering DNA methylation from bacteria and microbiome using nanopore technology

Bacterial DNA methylation occurs at diverse sequence contexts and plays important functional roles in cellular defense and gene regulation. An increasing number of studies have reported that bacterial DNA methylation has important roles affecting clinically relevant phenotypes such as virulence, host colonization, sporulation, biofilm formation, among others.

5 Apr 2021

Study reveals how exercise during pregnancy confers metabolic health benefits in offspring

A mechanism has been identified that explains how physical exercise in pregnancy confers metabolic health benefits in offspring.

30 Mar 2021

Rest during holidays has a restorative effect on DNA changes in shift workers with sleep disorder

Long-term sleep deprivation is detrimental to health, increasing the risk of psychiatric and somatic disorders, such as depression and cardiovascular diseases.

22 Feb 2021

Study highlights the epigenetics of life at high altitudes

Humans inhabit an incredible range of environments across the globe, from arid deserts to frozen tundra, tropical rainforests, and some of the highest peaks on Earth.

16 Feb 2021

Novel finding could lead to better treatments for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Monash University researchers have uncovered the barrier to β-cell (beta cell) regeneration that could pave the way for improved treatments for diabetes and diseases that involve organ and tissue damage.

12 Feb 2021

Lifestyle changes in pregnant women linked to epigenetic alterations in babies

A study led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden showed a connection between lifestyle intervention in pregnant women with obesity and epigenetic alterations in the baby. The study is published in the journal Diabetes.

11 Feb 2021

New results challenge the current understanding of medulloblastoma

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and their colleagues have published a detailed account of SJMB03, a clinical trial for pediatric patients with medulloblastoma.

28 Jan 2021

Novel method for identifying biomarkers may aid in early cancer diagnosis

A new University of California, Irvine-led study finds a new method for identifying biomarkers may aid in early cancer diagnosis.

27 Jan 2021

Reduced expression of TBX15 in tumor tissue represents a prognostic biomarker for HCC patients

The cover for issue 52 of Oncotarget features Figure 1, "Volcano plots of DNA methylation in tumor tissues compared with nontumor tissue," published in "Reduction of T-Box 15 gene expression in tumor tissue is a prognostic biomarker for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma" by Morine, et al. which reported that the authors conducted a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation of the tumor and non-tumor tissue of 15 patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and revealed TBX15 was the most hypermethylated gene of the tumor.

25 Jan 2021

New method could provide additional insight into brain tumors

A look at RNA tells us what our genes are telling our cells to do, and scientists say looking directly at the RNA of brain tumor cells appears to provide objective, efficient evidence to better classify a tumor and the most effective treatments.

19 Jan 2021

Researchers identify biomarkers in sperm for paternal offspring autism susceptibility

Biomarkers in human sperm have been identified that can indicate a propensity to father children with autism spectrum disorder.

11 Jan 2021

Epigenetic modulators have a rapid antidepressant-like effect, study shows

Treatment of depression faces two main challenges. The first is that almost 50% of patients do not respond well to existing antidepressants.

4 Jan 2021

Study clarifies the effect of aging on hematopoietic stem cells

By transferring mouse aged hematopoietic stem cells (aged HSCs) to the environment of young mice (bone marrow niche), it was demonstrated that the pattern of stem cell gene expression was rejuvenated to that of young hematopoietic stem cells.

24 Dec 2020

Deep Longevity releases first AI-powered psychological aging clocks

Today, Deep Longevity, a company developing artificial intelligence to track human aging and extend productive longevity, released the first AI-powered psychological aging clocks to analyze and interpret psychosocial factors in the context of aging.

16 Dec 2020

Texas Biomed to investigate the effects of cannabinoids on HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded Professor Mahesh Mohan, D.V.M., Ph.D., and collaborators more than $3.5 million over five years to investigate the effects of cannabinoids on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND).

11 Dec 2020

Study describes novel aging clock trained to predict human age

Deep Longevity, a Hong-Kong based longevity startup, has published their research on the epigenetics of aging in the Aging and Disease journal.

9 Dec 2020

Study elucidates the link between oxytocin gene methylation and parental empathy

Parenting behavior is deeply linked to the ability to empathize with one’s children. Thus, to better understand why certain parents react to certain situations in a certain way, it is crucial to gain insight into how empathy is shaped.

8 Dec 2020