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Harnessing Epigenetics to Prevent the Immune System from Attacking Itself

November 14, 2017 Estephany Ferrufino

As the weather gets cooler and winter begins to set in, we’re reminded that the immune system is our first line of defense against foreign pathogens and helps prevent us from getting sick. The immune system is comprised of different types of cells that are able to recognize and destroy disease-causing microbes, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. This advanced system has aided humans in fighting off intruders for thousands of years – and good thing, because no one likes [more…]

Pregnant Moms’ Exposure to Pollution May Epigenetically Increase Child’s Asthma Susceptibility

August 22, 2017 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Exposure to environmental pollution, such as diesel exhaust or concentrated urban air particles, during pregnancy could increase a child’s risk of developing asthma via epigenetic mechanisms. Recent research in the Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology suggests that this allergic susceptibility might even be epigenetically passed down for several generations. Asthma forms as a result of the complex interaction between someone’s genes, epigenetic marks, and the environment. Epigenetics, the study of how chemical tags impact the expression [more…]

B Vitamins Protect Against Harmful Epigenetic Effects of Air Pollution

May 30, 2017 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Air pollution has a negative impact on our health and can also adjust important chemical tags on our DNA. Aside from taking steps to reduce pollution in our communities, a new study suggests that we can take B vitamins to combat the harmful effects on our bodies. Particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers, or 3% of the diameter of human hair, is known as PM2.5. These fine particles have been shown to wreak epigenetic havoc on our [more…]

Open Mind, Open Genes: Exercising Your Epigenetic Power with Yoga

May 9, 2017 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Can yogic poses like downward facing dog improve your health by adjusting tiny chemical tags on your DNA? A calmer, relaxed mind after an intense yoga session seems to go hand-in-hand with bolstered health and a reduced chance of disease. Epigenetics, or the study of biological changes that occur due to different chemical marks that alter the expression of our genes, is showing that the beneficial effects of yoga penetrate deep into our minds and bodies — and may even [more…]

Epigenetic Health Benefits of Ginger Root

Ginger’s Potent Epigenetic Health Benefits

May 2, 2017 WhatIsEpigenetics

Ginger root, or the rhizome of the flowering ginger plant (Zingiber officinale), has been cultivated for millennia for use as both a spice added to food as well as a tonic used to cure ailments. Though originating in southeast Asia, ginger was used extensively by the Romans up until the fall of the Roman Empire where it then began being more widely traded and slowly crept into homes around the world. Now, the field of epigenetics is delving into the [more…]

Epigenetically Reactivating a Compromised Immune System with a Specific Sugar

December 13, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Could a certain type of sugar undo the failure of an individual’s immune system? New research suggests that immune cells can be restored in those with a compromised immune system using a sugar known as beta-glucan, which can turn on an epigenetic “control switch”. For many, getting an infection, such as a sinus infection, feels like an intensified, prolonged cold. Bacterial sinus infections are often easily combated with antibiotics, but typically resolve on their own. However, for more than a [more…]

Chinese Wutou Herb Mixture Could Carry Epigenetic Health Benefits

Could Exotic Herbs Carry Epigenetic Health Benefits?

November 14, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

A mixture of herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine may be able to reduce inflammation by adding and removing epigenetic marks on DNA, suggests a study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This alternative medicinal mixture, termed “Wutou decoction”, consists of six different herbs that have been widely used in the traditional Chinese medicine community to alleviate arthritis and other diseases. Now, researchers believe it may have an effect on epigenetic mechanisms known as DNA methylation and histone modifications, [more…]

HDAC inhibitors reduces kidney damage from cancer chemotherapy drug

HDAC Inhibitors Reduce Kidney Damage Caused by Cancer Therapy

December 29, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

The chemotherapy drug cisplatin has been successful in combating aggressive cancers, including neck and head, lung, and ovarian cancers, for nearly 40 years. However, many patients suffer from kidney damage as a result of the drug and there is currently no therapy available for treating or preventing cisplatin nephrotoxicity. Researchers have found that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors can improve the kidneys in the presence of the cancer drug by eliminating 80 to 90 percent of kidney toxicity. They published their [more…]

The Epigenetics Behind the Flu

November 17, 2015 Natalie Crowley

When the flu hits, it typically hits hard and fast. At first, you might only notice a slight cough and some sniffles and then, before you know it, you’re unable to get out of bed. The fever, sore throat, chills, muscle aches, and overall exhaustion take over your body and you’re done for — at least for a few days, if you’re lucky. Influenza (aka “the flu”) is a dreadful virus that’s seriously contagious and seemingly unavoidable for some. In [more…]

DNA Methyltransferase (DNMT) Control the Brain’s ‘Gender’?

Does DNA Methyltransferase Control the Brain’s ‘Gender’?

August 18, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Did you know that most animals’ brains develop to be either female or male? Certain portions are different sizes and the amount of neurons and synaptic connections vary. These structural differences likely explain why women and men generally differ in terms of language abilities, navigational skills, and response to emotional situations. While the sexualization of the brain happens prenatally, scientists are still wondering how exactly this differentiation happens. A study conducted by a research team at UM SOM, the University [more…]

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