Epigenetic Study Finds New Potential Drug Targets for Asthma and Allergies

February 24, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

A new epigenetic study has identified 30 genes connected to allergies and asthma that make people more susceptible to these conditions. Using the newly discovered gene targets from this study, scientists could potentially create drugs to combat allergic diseases and reduce allergic responses. About 6.8 million children and 18.7 million adults in the U.S. suffer from asthma. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 60 million people suffer from both asthma and allergies, affecting 1 out of every [more…]

DNA Methylation Could Explain How People Respond to Fear and Anger

February 17, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

A region of the brain known as the amygdala is normally activated when people perceive fear and anger in others. This region, which is part of the limbic system, conveys the message to other regions of the brain to prepare oneself for what may be a threatening situation. We’ve seen previous research that offers an epigenetic connection between DNA methylation of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) and how an individual responds to stress. In the present study, peoples’ brains respond [more…]

Epigenetic Changes Result from Breathing in Diesel Exhaust

January 20, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

New research exposes the epigenetic changes and harmful consequences that can occur as a result of exposure to diesel exhaust fumes. Researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health have found that breathing in diesel exhaust fumes can lead to changes in DNA methylation levels, switching on and off certain genes. Diesel exhaust is given off when an engine burns diesel fuel and, according to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, “is a complex mixture of [more…]

Epigenetics of Skeletal Muscle Altered by Endurance Training

January 6, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

We all know that exercise is good for us, but researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden are exploring the epigenetic impact good exercise has on our skeletal muscles. We have previously touched on the effects of epigenetic changes on the development of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In a recent study in Epigenetics, long-term endurance training has been shown to affect the epigenetic pattern present in the human skeletal muscle. The changed epigenetic patterns were shown to [more…]

Binge Drinking Can Lead to Harmful Epigenetic Changes

December 30, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Recent research at the University of Missouri School of Medicine sheds some light on the epigenetic changes to proteins that occur as a result of . Their results could help progress treatments for liver diseases linked to alcohol consumption. The lead author of the study and Margaret Proctor Mulligan Professor at the MU School of Medicine, Shivendra Shukla, PhD, says that “we know that chronic alcohol use is damaging to the liver, but binge drinking amplifies that damage.” Chronic liver [more…]

The Epigenetics of Schizophrenia

December 8, 2014 Adam Alonzi

The nascent field of epigenetics has been helpful in elucidating upon other polygenic traits and diseases. Thus it only seems logical to apply it to the study of , a chronic and debilitating illness with a sundry of risk factors. In his widely cited 2013 article, Dr. Thomas Insel defines schizophrenia as “a collection of signs and symptoms of unknown aetiology, predominantly defined by observed signs of psychosis.” The NIMH estimates it affects 1 out of 100 people. Yet in [more…]

Epigenetic Regulation of a Single Gene Controls Drug and Stress Responses

December 2, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Researchers have found that the regulation of a specific gene located in an area of the brain linked to depression and drug addiction can reduce the way someone responds to drugs and stressful situations. A mouse study that focused on the epigenetic regulation of a single gene was carried out at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and was recently published in Nature Neuroscience. Earlier research supports a connection between epigenetic regulation and diseases related to depression and [more…]

Prenatal Maternal Stress Triggers Distinct DNA Methylation Signatures in Ice Storm Babies

November 18, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

The Quebec Ice Storm of 1998 was a devastating time that plunged more than 3 million Quebecers into frigid darkness without electricity for as long as 45 days. Now, more than 15 years later, researchers from McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University are finding out that the length of time a pregnant woman went without electricity during this time predicts her child’s epigenetic profile. Scientists have discovered a unique DNA ‘signature’ of children who were in the womb [more…]

The Consequences of a Poor Diet Could Epigenetically Persist Despite Improving Eating Habits

November 11, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

A majority of people know that improving your diet will lead to an improvement in your health. But not everyone knows that the consequences of eating poorly can actually persist even after you’ve changed your dietary habits for the better. New research on mice suggests that even following the treatment of atherosclerosis – the build-up of plaque in your arteries – by lowering blood cholesterol and improving diet, the detrimental effects of poor eating continues to affect the functioning of [more…]

Researchers Discover ‘Goldilocks Effect’ of Protein Bre1 Influences Epigenetic Regulation

November 4, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Every cell in the human body contains every human gene. However, not all genes are expressed, or turned “on”, in each cell. Depending on the type of cell, certain genes will need to be expressed and others not. For example, a heart cell possesses genes necessary for appropriate kidney function, but in a healthy heart cell these genes won’t be expressed. Similarly, a kidney cell has genes for proper heart function, but only the genes relevant to kidney functioning should [more…]

1 31 32 33 34 35 37

WIE-logo-icon

If you like reading our articles…

Join our e-newsletter! Stay up-to-date with our weekly posts on epigenetics and health, nutrition, exercise, and more.