Exploring evidence based scientific news in emerging scientific fields
A study published in Genome Biology in August 2016 supplies the first analysis of the epigenetic clock across different racial groups. By analyzing blood, saliva, and brain samples, epigenetic aging rates were compared among seven different racial groups and in men and women. As discovered in the study, rates of […]
According to a new study published in Aging Cell in August 2016, methylation changes in skin DNA can be used to accurately predict age. Aging is a complex phenomenon, and scientists can now identify factors of aging and epigenetic drift from the epidermis. Methylation patterns in human skin become more […]
A study published in Molecular Psychiatry in May, “Poverty linked to epigenetic changes and mental illness“, reports that children who grew up in poverty are more likely to develop depression rather than those who grew up in wealthier environments. Stressors and Trauma of Poverty Environmental stressors during development can […]
The human genome is never stagnant. Like checks and balances, internal regulation mechanisms constantly tweak gene expression levels to ensure that bodily function does not go awry. Deviation from standard regulation patterns can be devastating, but defining “normalcy” in terms of gene regulation has proved to be somewhat difficult. […]
It is easier to target a known physiological phenomenon than an emotional state with uncertain biological ties. While conventional treatments for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) focus on promoting serotonin neurotransmitter levels, much about the mental illness’ origin remains shrouded in obscurity. However, in August 2016, Nature and Genetics journal […]
May the best man win. Darwin’s principle of natural selection dictates that organisms with advantageous adaptations will trump those of lesser stock. The unusual inheritance pattern of mitochondrial DNA, however, sometimes defies the confines of this theory; in a study published June 2016 in Nature Genetics, by Hansong Ma and […]
The origin of Parkinson’s disease is frustratingly vague, an ambiguous cocktail of biological and environmental puzzle pieces which defies any simple fix. In a May 2016 study, a team of scientists began to explore whether epigenetic modification could hold the key to Parkinson’s pathology. The group analyzed the chemical variants of […]
Which one of these is not like the others: heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza/pneumonia, nephritis, and suicide. All of these ailments are catalogued by the CDC as “leading causes of death,” yet Alzheimer’s is the only fatal disease among them that […]
Is obesity caused by what you eat or what you inherit? In a March 2016 study published in Taylor & Francis Group, “Nutrition has a pervasive impact on cardiac microRNA expression in isogenic mice”, it seems that the former holds true. Prenatal vs. Postnatal Exposure to Obesity As of […]
Researchers at Harvard Medical suggest that bacteria in the gut may influence inflammation and neurodegeneration found in those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The team used genome-wide analysis to detect a transcriptional response during central nervous system autoimmunity, and in lesions in MS patients; their findings were published in Nature […]