News & Reviews Archives | What is Epigenetics?

Epigenetic Mechanism Found May Combat Cancer and Aging

March 21, 2023 Natalie Crowley

From the time we are born, the cells in our bodies are constantly replicating – creating and repairing the tissues of our organs, skin, bones, and more. This process, which splits one cell into two identical daughter cells, is called mitosis, and it allows the body to grow and heal over a lifetime. For the most part, our cells are very efficient at dividing. But as we age, impairment can occur, and the information once provided by the mother cell [more…]

AI Boosts Gene Editing for Epigenetic Therapies

March 7, 2023 Natalie Crowley

Gene editing and artificial intelligence (AI) are two powerful discoveries that have the potential to revolutionize disease treatment. While gene editing can correct genetic defects, AI can analyze data better for improved decision-making. Using these technologies together would no doubt improve patient outcomes and potentially cure diseases. Now a new AI program from the Grossman School of Medicine at NYU Langone-Health and the University of Toronto is taking an older gene editing technology and improving it to enhance and expedite [more…]

Epigenetic Memory Helps Plants Adapt to Climate Change

February 21, 2023 Natalie Crowley

We generally don’t think of plants as being intelligent. But they can learn, communicate, remember, and even make decisions in a stimulus-dependent manner. This ability allows them to modify their behavior to benefit their overall fitness, which is especially helpful when facing adverse environmental challenges like drought or extreme temperature changes. Although plants are just as adept as animals in responding to their surroundings, they lack a cognitive ability, which functions through neural structures and mechanisms. Instead, plant “intelligence” is [more…]

Epigenetic Switch Helps the Body Fight Infections

January 31, 2023 Natalie Crowley

Keeping the body healthy – that’s the immune system’s job. And a healthy immune system allows our body to defend against invading disease-causing microorganisms like viruses, parasites, and bacteria. One remarkable component of the immune system response is hematopoiesis, the process by which immune cells are produced in the bone marrow. During an infection, the hematopoietic system kicks into high gear, replenishing the immune cells that are quickly being consumed. Like a “state of emergency” for the body, this system [more…]

The Benefits of Exercise Goes Epigenome-Deep

January 17, 2023 Natalie Crowley

Not everyone likes to exercise, but let’s face it, exercise is essential for good health. In addition to keeping weight in check, it helps combat many physical and mental disorders. Numerous studies have attested to the benefits of exercise, providing data supporting its role in preventing and managing conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, and anxiety. So then, why isn’t exercise something we all do regularly? Some say we live in an “obesogenic” world, where inactivity is more or [more…]

Histone mimicry: How a SARS-CoV-2 protein functions as an H3 mimic to disrupt host cell epigenetic regulation

January 3, 2023 Mike Spelios

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first recognized at the beginning of 2020 and is responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The persistence of the virus has been partly accredited to its effective suppression of host cell responses. As such, continued research in elucidating the dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle is essential to facilitate the design and development of novel diagnostics and suitable therapies. Although reports suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can dysregulate the host’s gene expression and innate [more…]

Low Levels of Alcohol Can Epigenetically Prime the Brain for Addiction

December 20, 2022 Natalie Crowley

Alcoholism is a disease that can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or body type. But, dependence on alcohol seems to vary from person to person. In some, it can develop quickly and aggressively, while in others, it may emerge over a longer period of time. What makes one more or less susceptible to alcohol is not fully understood. Yet, the reasons are credited to both environmental and biological factors, which are also implicated in epigenetic regulation. In some [more…]

Researchers Discover New Epigenetic Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer

October 25, 2022 Natalie Crowley

Cancer that occurs in the prostate is one of the most common cancers found in men globally. It is also clinically one of the most varied, with a subgroup of patients that advance more quickly to metastasis. Unfortunately, many diagnostic measures used today are not capable of predicting prostate cancer’s (PC) progression. Because epigenetic modifications are usually found early in tumor development, researchers have become more interested in studying these changes to find biomarkers for the disease. In a recent [more…]

Researchers Find That Moms Pass On Additional Epigenetic Information To Their Children

October 11, 2022 Natalie Crowley

Our understanding of early development and its importance for lifelong health is constantly evolving, thanks in part to the growing field of epigenetics. We now know that parents pass along more than just their genes – they also transmit molecular mechanisms that control how genes are expressed. These epigenetic gene regulators help ensure the normal development of a child. However, only a few genes in our genome carry the epigenetic data of our parents. These “imprinted genes” are either expressed [more…]

Living in a dreamworld: What genetics (and epigenetics?) can tell us about lucid dreams

September 13, 2022 Mike Spelios

Have you ever become aware that you’re in a dream state while you’re dreaming? If so, then chances are you’ve had a lucid dream. Much like Neo plugged into a simulated Matrix, you are cognizant of your altered reality and can even manipulate your dream environment. Lucid dreams can be quite pleasant for some people. For others, especially those with “Reward Deficiency Syndrome” (RDS) behaviors like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder [more…]

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