Epigenetics News and Research

Latest Epigenetics News and Research

Penn researchers track defective sperm epigenome linked to male infertility

One out of eight couples has trouble conceiving, with nearly a quarter of those cases caused by unexplained male infertility. For the past decade, research has linked that infertility to defective sperm that fail to "evict" proteins called histones from DNA during development.

16 Dec 2019

Important discovery about male infertility could lead to new treatments

Using a new mouse model, Penn Medicine researchers have identified defects in the sperm epigenome that cause male infertility.

16 Dec 2019

Coriell scientist awarded grant to explore epigenetic drivers of breast cancer

Shoghag Panjarian, PhD, a research scientist at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, has been awarded a grant from the W. W. Smith Charitable Trust to support her search for epigenetic factors that contribute to the development and growth of breast cancer.

5 Dec 2019

Baylor researchers report creation of an 'epigenetic couch potato' mouse

Why is it that some people love to exercise, and others hate it? Most people would assume it's all due to genetics, but a new Baylor College of Medicine led study in mice shows for the first time that a different molecular level of regulation - epigenetics - plays a key role in determining one's innate drive to exercise.

4 Dec 2019

Fertility treatments cause epigenetic changes in mouse embryos, study finds

Though epigenetic disorders - diseases caused by faulty gene expression - are still rare overall, babies born using fertility treatments have up to an 11-fold higher risk of inheriting them.

26 Nov 2019

Discovery in C. difficile biology opens new window to developing treatments for dangerous infections

A process called sporulation that helps the dangerous bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) to survive inhospitable conditions and spread is regulated by epigenetics, factors that affect gene expression beyond the DNA genetic code, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report.

25 Nov 2019

Recent discovery about C. difficile could pave the way for new treatments

Researchers have found that sporulation, which helps the bacterium C. difficile survive and spread, is regulated by epigenetics.

25 Nov 2019

Study shows how drinking patterns reprogram circadian metabolism in the liver

Drinking alcohol is a widespread habit in modern society and can have serious metabolic consequences. Recent studies have uncovered the interplay between nutrition, metabolism and circadian rhythms. But, until now, little has been done to understand the effects of alcohol consumption on circadian metabolism.

22 Nov 2019

Coriell Institute for Medical Research wins $7.7 million NINDS contract

Coriell Institute for Medical Research has been awarded a $7.7 million contract by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health focused on the study of nervous system disorders.

21 Nov 2019

Teenage binge drinking may lead to anxiety and alcohol abuse in later life

Exposure to high levels of alcohol in adolescence may shape adult behaviors, predisposing them to a higher risk of anxiety and alcohol abuse later in life, a new study found.

19 Nov 2019

Scientists develop new therapy for acute myeloid leukemia

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory scientists, with chemists and cancer biologists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, have developed a new therapy that extended the survival of mice with acute myeloid leukemia.

19 Nov 2019

Mining 'darkest' parts of the genome in cancer cells yields gold

Mining the rich uncharted territory of the genome or genetic material of a cancer cell has yielded gold for Princess Margaret scientists: new protein targets for drug development against prostate cancer.

15 Nov 2019

Leukemia type B cell can transform into a macrophage through epigenetic changes

All the tissues of our body have the same DNA, but they perform very different functions and have very different aspects.

13 Nov 2019

Scientists receive $1.6 million grant to study impact of phthalate exposure on male fertility

A cross-disciplinary team of scientists, led by University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental epigeneticist Richard Pilsner, will use a three-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to expand research into the impact of phthalate exposure on male fertility.

30 Oct 2019

Parents' behavior can have substantial impact on developing oxytocin systems in babies

Oxytocin is an extremely important hormone, involved in social interaction and bonding in mammals, including humans.

24 Oct 2019

Acetate derived from alcohol metabolism directly influences epigenetic regulation in the brain

Triggers in everyday life such as running into a former drinking buddy, walking by a once-familiar bar, and attending social gatherings can all cause recovering alcoholics to "fall off the wagon."

24 Oct 2019

Genes remember having low social status in the past

A new study in monkeys, published on October 14, 2019, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that organisms at the bottom of the social hierarchy live shorter lives. Moreover, they experience more sickness, and may continue to experience health problems despite moving up later. Adverse experiences of social life continue to reflect in their genes much longer than the actual experience, in the form of changes in gene expression via altered gene regulation.

16 Oct 2019

Measuring development in young children: the DNA clock

Scientists have come up with a new discovery that could transform our understanding of how childhood growth and development are measured – the DNA clock. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, is the first paper to...

16 Oct 2019

Epigenetic changes can lead to development of GISTs, other cancers

Most cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a type of soft-tissue cancer (sarcoma), are caused by mutations in genes that can be effectively targeted with drugs that inhibit the activity of rogue cancer-promoting enzymes.

16 Oct 2019