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epigenetics

·July 19, 2023·8 min read

Epigenetic Marking of Satiety Gene Influences Obesity Risk in Women

Researchers identified an epigenetic factor that influences women's risk of obesity. The study found that the risk of obesity increases by 44% if there are a large number of methyl groups attached to the POMC gene, associated with the feeling of satiety.

This shows a stressed man and drawings of clocks

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·April 21, 2023·6 min read

Stress Rapidly Increases Biological Age, but Recovery Turns Back the Clock

Stress can cause rapid and transient increases in biological age, which can be reversed upon recovery, according to a new study. Using DNA methylation clocks, researchers found that stress triggers short-term fluctuations in biological age in humans and mice. The findings challenge the idea that biological age has a unidirectional upward trajectory over the life course, and highlights the importance of reducing biological age to improve longevity.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 19, 2023·5 min read

Childhood Abuse and Biological Sex Linked to Epigenetic Changes in Functional Neurological Disorder

Functional movement/conversion disorder (FMD) is characterized by epigenetic changes, and women and child abuse survivors with FMD have different epigenetic profiles linked to the condition.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 3, 2023·4 min read

Small Differences in Mom’s Behavior May Show Up in Child’s Epigenome

A mother's social interaction with her child, especially if her behavior is cold or awkward, correlated with a small increase in methylation of the child's NR3C1 gene. The NR3C1 is involved in the regulation of the HPA-axis which plays a critical role in stress response and the production of cortisol.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 1, 2023·3 min read

Stress Gene Dysregulation Found in Kids After Injury From Abuse vs. Accident

Study reports on epigenetic changes to the FKBP5 gene, a key gene associated with the regulation of stress response in the body, in babies and young children who were injured as a result of abuse, but not accidental injury.

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Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 25, 2023·6 min read

A New Epigenetic Brain Defense Against Recurrence of Opioid Use

HDAC5, the "epigenetics" enzyme, plays a key role in limiting opioid-associated memories and drug-seeking behaviors following abstinence from drugs in rats. The findings provide a new avenue for the treatment of opioid addiction.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·February 22, 2023·6 min read

Dial for Tuning Dopamine and Environmental Signals Found in Parkinson’s

Study reveals how signals from the environment integrate with genetic information that influences the survival and health of neurons, providing new insights into how Parkinson's disease may develop. Findings reveal the TNK2 gene mutations lead to the degeneration of dopamine producing neurons, resulting in Parkinson's disease pathology.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 13, 2023·8 min read

Loss of Epigenetic Information Can Drive Aging, Restoration Can Reverse It

Epigenetics can drive aging in an organism, independently of alterations in the genetic code itself. The breakdown of epigenetic information results in aging in mice, yet restoring the integrity of the epigenome reverses signs of aging.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 8, 2022·4 min read

Common Sweetener Linked to Anxiety

Aspartame, a sweetener found in diet drinks and food, has been linked to an increased risk of developing anxiety behaviors in a new mouse study. The effects of exposure to aspartame extended for up to two generations.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·December 6, 2022·4 min read

Twin Study Links Exercise to Beneficial Epigenetic Changes

Twins who were more physically active had lower signs of metabolic disease and epigenetic markers linked to decreased risk of metabolic syndrome. Findings suggest metabolic diseases are strongly influenced by how a person interacts with their environment as opposed to just their inherited genetics.

This shows a teen sitting on the side of the road with a bottle of beer

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 8, 2022·5 min read

Genetics May Explain Link Between Unhealthy Teen Lifestyles and Accelerated Biological Aging

The epigenetic clocks of those who indulged in unhealthy behaviors as teens were 1.7 to 3.3 years older than individuals who reported more healthy lifestyles as teens.

This shows the outline of a man and a woman's head

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·October 17, 2022·4 min read

Epigenetic Changes Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Differ in Men and Women

Post-mortem analysis of the brains of those with Parkinson's disease revealed more than 200 genes with different epigenetic markers compared to healthy brains, but the affected genes were almost entirely different between women and men.