One Step Closer to Newborn Screening for Autism
Key biomarkers for predicting autism in newborns have been identified.... Read More...
epigenetics
The genetic signature of memory
Cortical and subcortical memory regions exhibit distinct genetic signatures that reflect potential differences in health and disease.... Read More...
Adolescent drinking increases anxiety and alcohol abuse risk later in life
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...
Consuming alcohol leads to epigenetic changes in brain memory centers
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...
Mothers’ behavior influences bonding hormone oxytocin in babies
Greater maternal involvement upregulates the oxytocin system in their babies.... Read More...
Hormone potentially linked to hypersexual disorder identified
Study implicates dysregulation of epigenetic mechanisms of both DNA methylation and microRNA activity, in addition to oxytocin to hypersexuality.... Read More...
Chronic cocaine use modifies gene expression
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...
Gene linked to autism undergoes changes in men’s sperm after cannabis use
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...
From cradle to grave: Postnatal overnutrition linked to aging
Islets of Langerhans in overnourished infant mice showed epigenetic profiles resembling those of much older mice.... Read More...
Stress in pregnancy impacts childrens’ vulnerability to stress in adulthood
Prenatal stress can have an epigenetic impact on the future mental health of offspring. Adult children of women who experienced prenatal stress are more vulnerable to stress and other mental health disorders. ... Read More...
Alzheimer’s drug reverses brain damage from adolescent alcohol exposure
Donepezil, a drug routinely administered to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, shows promise in treating damage caused to the brain by adolescent alcohol exposure. The drug reverses neuroinflammation and neuron damage in rats exposed to alcohol during adolescence. ... Read More...
Moderate to heavy drinking during pregnancy alters genes in newborns and mothers
POMC, a gene which regulates the stress response system, and PER2, a gene associated with circadian regulation, are altered in women who drank moderate-to-high amounts of alcohol during pregnancy and their newborns. ... Read More...