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.

Human stem cells can be reset to their native undifferentiated state

Scientists at the Babraham Institute, in collaboration with colleagues at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and the European Bioinformatics Institute, have made a breakthrough in stem cell research. Their paper, published today in Cell, describes how human stem cells can be reverted back to non-specialised cells.

11 Sep 2014

Researchers focus on how exposure to opioids may alter expression of OPRM1 gene

Some infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) secondary to in-utero opioid exposure have a more difficult time going through withdrawal than others, but the underlying reasons are not well understood.

20 Aug 2014

Researchers reveal how early changes in DNA methylation involved in Alzheimer's disease

A new study led by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Rush University Medical Center, reveals how early changes in brain DNA methylation are involved in Alzheimer's disease.

18 Aug 2014

Subtle changes in gene can predict how brain reacts to stress

Scientists studying depression in teens have discovered that subtle changes in a gene can predict how the brain reacts to stress, which can cause such health issues as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and obesity.

5 Aug 2014

Epigenetic control of serotonin transporter predicts human brain function

The tiny addition of a chemical mark atop a gene that is well known for its involvement in clinical depression and posttraumatic stress disorder can affect the way a person's brain responds to threats, according to a new study by Duke University researchers.

4 Aug 2014

New web-based tool enables researchers to quickly visualize genomic information

Scientists at the University of Maryland have developed a new, web-based tool that enables researchers to quickly and easily visualize and compare large amounts of genomic information resulting from high-throughput sequencing experiments.

4 Aug 2014

Epigenetic switch can cause cancer, shows study

Cancer has long been thought to be primarily a genetic disease, but in recent decades scientists have come to believe that epigenetic changes - which don't change the DNA sequence but how it is 'read' - also play a role in cancer.

26 Jul 2014

Children who experience stress early in life have emotional, physical health problems

Children who have been abused or neglected early in life are at risk for developing both emotional and physical health problems.

25 Jul 2014

VCU awarded $3 million grant to study how childhood adverse experiences create long-term health risks

Virginia Commonwealth University has received a five-year, $3 million grant to study how adverse experiences such as severe illnesses, neglect and maltreatment during childhood leave molecular marks in DNA that predict health risks later in life.

23 Jul 2014

Researchers develop new single-cell technique to study environmental effects on DNA

Researchers at the BBSRC-funded Babraham Institute, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Single Cell Genomics Centre, have developed a powerful new single-cell technique to help investigate how the environment affects our development and the traits we inherit from our parents.

21 Jul 2014

Findings provide new insights into the basic biology of stem cells

A team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University and Salk Institute for Biological Studies has shown for the first time that stem cells created using different methods produce differing cells.

3 Jul 2014

DNA methylation identified as potential anti-TNF response biomarker for RA

DNA methylation has been identified as a potential biomarker of response to etanercept and adalimumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to preliminary results from one of the largest methylome-wide investigations of treatment response to anti-TNF therapies.

12 Jun 2014

Study examines effect of phthalate exposure in humans’ sperm epigenetics

A new three-year, $440,000 study led by environmental health scientist Richard Pilsner at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is now underway to investigate whether phthalate levels in expectant fathers have an effect on the couples' reproductive success, via epigenetic modifications of sperm DNA.

12 Jun 2014

Gene regulation responsible for normal breast tissue may also play role in cancer development

About one in eight women in the United States will contract breast cancer in her lifetime. Now new research from Tel Aviv University-affiliated researchers, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, has provided another tool to help women, clinicians, and scientists searching for a cure to the one of the most widespread yet incurable diseases on the planet.

30 May 2014

Female mice deprived of dietary zinc before conception experience fertility problems

Female mice deprived of dietary zinc for a relatively short time before conception experienced fertility and pregnancy problems and had smaller, less-developed fetuses than mice that ingested zinc during the same times, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

30 May 2014

DNA Methylation News and Research

Further Reading

Human stem cells can be reset to their native undifferentiated state

Researchers focus on how exposure to opioids may alter expression of OPRM1 gene

Researchers reveal how early changes in DNA methylation involved in Alzheimer's disease

Subtle changes in gene can predict how brain reacts to stress

Epigenetic control of serotonin transporter predicts human brain function

New web-based tool enables researchers to quickly visualize genomic information

Epigenetic switch can cause cancer, shows study

Children who experience stress early in life have emotional, physical health problems

VCU awarded $3 million grant to study how childhood adverse experiences create long-term health risks

Researchers develop new single-cell technique to study environmental effects on DNA

Findings provide new insights into the basic biology of stem cells

DNA methylation identified as potential anti-TNF response biomarker for RA

Study examines effect of phthalate exposure in humans’ sperm epigenetics

Gene regulation responsible for normal breast tissue may also play role in cancer development

Female mice deprived of dietary zinc before conception experience fertility problems

New biomarker shows promise in improving screening for esophageal cancer

Puzzle in breast cancer solved

Research: Novel therapeutic approach to overcome chemoresistance in ovarian cancer

Mother's diet before conception can permanently affect how her child's genes function

Study: Genetics as well as environment in womb play important roles in development of baby

DNA Methylation eBook

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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