Researchers conduct the first study to use nonharmful stress, like intermittent systemic hypoxia, to protect against disease in the first generation offspring in mice. Read More
Twin study reveals how we adapt to aging may be genetically influenced. Individual differences in blood DNA methylation are partly heritable later in life and longitudinally across a decade, researchers report. Read More
Mouse study reveals the sperm of males infected with Toxoplasma carries an altered epigenetic signature that impacts the brain of the offspring. While the effects of T. gondii infections in pregnant women are fairly well documented, this is a novel study looking at the impact of male infection and its impact on offspring. The study raises the question as to whether T. gondii infections in men before conception impact the health and development of future generations. Read More
Key biomarkers for predicting autism in newborns have been identified. Read More
Cortical and subcortical memory regions exhibit distinct genetic signatures that reflect potential differences in health and disease. Read More
Teenage binge drinking is linked to altered gene expression in the brain, specifically the central nucleus of the amygdala. Adolescent rats exposed to alcohol had increased levels of miR-137, resulting in lower expression of proteins essential for healthy neuron growth. During adulthood, these rats displayed higher levels of anxiety and an increased preference for alcohol consumption. Read More
Study reveals how acetate, a byproduct of alcohol breakdown, travels to the brain's learning system and alters proteins that regulate DNA function. Read More
Greater maternal involvement upregulates the oxytocin system in their babies. Read More
Study implicates dysregulation of epigenetic mechanisms of both DNA methylation and microRNA activity, in addition to oxytocin to hypersexuality. Read More
Chronic cocaine use alters the epigenetic profile of the FosB gene in the hippocampus. These alterations are required for cocaine-dependent gene expression and cocaine environment associations. Modification of hippocampal FosB results in a condition critical for cocaine-related learning. Read More
Marijuana use alters a gene associated with autism in sperm. Hypomethylation was identified in the DLGAP2 gene in the sperm of male rats exposed to THC. The hypomethylated state was also detected in the forebrains of their offspring. Further research is needed to establish if there is a definitive link between paternal cannabis use and ASD in humans. Read More
Islets of Langerhans in overnourished infant mice showed epigenetic profiles resembling those of much older mice. Read More
