ScienceDaily: Epigenetics News

Mechanism linking key inflammatory marker to cancer identified

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:53:53 EDT

Researchers have revealed how a key player in cell growth, immunity and the inflammatory response can be transformed into a primary contributor to tumor growth.

Epigenomics of stem cells that mimic early human development charted

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:31:31 EDT

Scientists have long known that control mechanisms known collectively as “epigenetics” play a critical role in human development, but they did not know precisely how alterations in this extra layer of biochemical instructions in DNA contribute to development.

Mapping the embryonic epigenome: How genes are turned on and off during early human development

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

A large, multi-institutional research team has published a sweeping analysis of how genes are turned on and off to direct early human development.

Potential new way to detect colorectal and other cancers

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:01:01 EDT

A unique new study reveals a novel mechanism explaining the previously unknown root cause of some forms of colorectal cancers.

Epigenetic changes shed light on biological mechanism of autism

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

Scientists have identified patterns of epigenetic changes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by studying genetically identical twins who differ in autism traits. The study is the largest of its kind and may shed light on the biological mechanism by which environmental influences regulate the activity of certain genes and in turn contribute to the development of ASD and related behavior traits.

More accurate markers identified for detecting response to epigenetic drugs for myelodysplastic syndromes

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 09:06:06 EDT

Researchers have identified and validated two DNA methylation markers that could help physicians to more accurately determine a patient's response to epigenetic drugs for treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), new research suggests.

New drug target companion prognostic test for hormone therapy resistance

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:10:10 EDT

A team of international cancer researchers has identified the signalling pathway that is over-activated in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells that are resistant to hormone therapies such as tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors or fulvestrant.

Mechanism of mutant histone protein in childhood brain cancer revealed

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:20:20 EDT

Researchers have shown how a mutated histone protein inhibits an enzyme, which normally keeps cell growth in check, and causes a rare form of pediatric brain cancer called DIPG. Their findings reveal a mechanism for inhibiting enzymes and could lead to the development of pharmaceuticals that mimic the action of these mutant proteins.

New insights into how genes turn on and off

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:25:25 EDT

Researchers have shed new light on methylation, a critical process that helps control how genes are expressed. Working with placentas, the team discovered that 37 percent of the placental genome has regions of lower methylation, called partially methylated domains, in which gene expression is turned off.

Significant insights into common form of autism: Study identifies genetic connections in 15q duplication syndrome

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:15:15 EDT

Results from a new study are providing significant insights into autism through the study of a specific form of the disorder caused by a duplication on chromosome 15.

Old mice, young blood: Rejuvenating blood of mice by reprogramming stem cells that produce blood

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:36:36 EDT

The blood of young and old people differs. Scientists have now rejuvenated the blood of mice by reversing, or reprogramming, the stem cells that produce blood.

New clues in hunt for heredity in type 2 diabetes

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:11:11 EDT

Type 2 diabetes has strong hereditary tendencies and the genes we are born with cannot be changed. However, new research shows that we can modify the function of the genes through the epigenetic changes that take place in the course of life.

New sensor developed for methylated DNA

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:43:43 EDT

Researchers have developed a new, single molecule test for detecting methylated DNA. Methylation -- the addition of a methyl group of molecules to a DNA strand -- is one of the ways gene expression is regulated.

Epigenetics mechanism may help explain effects of mom's nutrition on her children's health

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:37:37 EDT

Pioneering studies by a molecular geneticist are helping explain how the foods that soon-to-be-moms eat in the days and weeks around the time of conception -- or what's known as periconceptional nutrition –- may affect the way genes function in her children, and her children's health.

Dual systems key to keeping chromosomes intact

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:39:39 EST

Scientists have discovered how two different structural apparatuses collaborate to protect repetitive DNA when it is at its most vulnerable -- while it is being unzipped for replication.

Mechanisms regulating inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes, cancer identified

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:33:33 EST

A new study has identified epigenetic mechanisms that connect a variety of diseases associated with inflammation.

Tweaking gene expression to repair lungs

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:30:30 EST

A healthy lung has some capacity to regenerate itself like the liver. In COPD, these reparative mechanisms fail. HDAC therapies may be useful for COPD, as well as other airway diseases. The levels of HDAC2 expression and its activity are greatly reduced in COPD patients. Decreased HDAC activity may impair the ability of the lung epithelium to regenerate.

Reprogramming cells to fight diabetes

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:13:13 EST

For years researchers have been searching for a way to treat diabetics by reactivating their insulin-producing beta cells, with limited success. The "reprogramming" of related alpha cells into beta cells may one day offer a novel and complementary approach for treating type 2 diabetes. Treating human and mouse cells with compounds that modify cell nuclear material called chromatin induced the expression of beta cell genes in alpha cells, according to a new study.

Life's tiniest architects pinpointed: Molecular regulators of epigenetics

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:12:12 EST

If a genome is the blueprint for life, then the chief architects are tiny slices of genetic material that orchestrate how we are assembled and function. The study pinpoints the molecular regulators of epigenetics -- the process by which unchanging genes along our DNA are switched on and off at precisely right time and place.

Potential epigenetic mechanisms for improved cancer therapy

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:07:07 EST

A review article proposes a new epigenetic hypothesis linked to tumor production and novel ideas about what causes progenitor cells to develop into cancer cells.

Life experiences put their stamp on the next generation: New insights from epigenetics

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:55:55 EST

There has long been the impression that major life events, like psychological traumas, not only have effects on individuals who directly experience these events, but also have effects on their children. Until recently, these trans-generational effects were attributed to changes in the way that parents treated their children or the child's reaction to learning about the parent's history. In a new article, researchers discuss how the emergence of the field of epigenetics has introduced a new component to this discussion -- the trans-generational transmission of changes in the regulation of gene expression.

Colon cancer exhibits a corresponding epigenetic pattern in mice and humans

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:21:21 EST

The epigenetic investigation of mice can as a result contribute to early diagnosis of cancer in humans.

Obesity in dads may be associated with offspring's increased risk of disease

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:02:02 EST

A father's obesity is one factor that may influence his children's health and potentially raise their risk for diseases like cancer, according to new research. The study is the first in humans to show that paternal obesity may alter a genetic mechanism in the next generation, suggesting that a father's lifestyle factors may be transmitted to his children.

Early-onset puberty in females explained

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:09:09 EST

This research provides significant insight into the reasons why early-onset puberty occurs in females. The researchers located key genes that trigger puberty and highlighted how external forces (epigenetics) appear to be a possible cause of early-onset puberty in some cases.

Jet fuel, plastics exposures cause disease in later generations; Reproductive diseases, obesity

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:36:36 EST

Researchers have lengthened their list of environmental toxicants that can negatively affect as many as three generations of an exposed animal's offspring. Among them: BPA and jet fuel. And they see a new outcome: Obesity.

Scientists discover how epigenetic information could be inherited: Mechanism of epigenetic reprogramming revealed

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:08:08 EST

New research reveals a potential way for how parents' experiences could be passed to their offspring's genes.

Personal epigenetic 'signatures' found consistent in prostate cancer patients' metastases

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:40:40 EST

In a genome-wide analysis of 13 metastatic prostate cancers, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found consistent epigenetic “signatures” across all metastatic tumors in each patient. The discovery of the stable, epigenetic “marks” that sit on the nuclear DNA of cancer cells and alter gene expression, defies a prevailing belief that the marks vary so much within each individual’s widespread cancers that they have little or no value as targets for therapy or as biomarkers for treatment response and predicting disease severity.

Epigenomic abnormalities predict patient survival in non-Hodgkins lymphoma

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:23:23 EST

"Not only do we see more abnormal methylation in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients than in healthy B-cell populations, but there are three distinct subtypes of the disease in the clinic, each more aggressive than the next. These three clinical trajectories of non-Hodgkins lymphoma were distinctly marked by their levels of abnormal methylation," says a CU Cancer Center investigator.

Dimmer switch for regulating cell's read of DNA code

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:11:11 EST

Researchers have been studying the epigenetics enzyme HDAC3 for several years. They discovered that its activity requires interaction with a specific region on another protein called the Deacetylase Activating Domain. This "nuts and bolts" discovery on the epigenetic control of a person’s genome has implications for cancer and neurological treatments.

In epigenomics, location is everything: Researchers exploit gene position to test 'histone code'

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:07:07 EST

In a novel use of gene knockout technology, researchers tested the same gene inserted into 90 different locations in a yeast chromosome -- and discovered that while the inserted gene never altered its surrounding chromatin landscape, differences in that immediate landscape measurably affected gene activity.

New insight into cell development and cancer

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 13:03:03 EST

New research has shed new light on how epigenetic signals may function together to determine the ultimate fate of a stem cell. The study implicates a unique class of proteins called polycomb-like proteins as bridging molecules between the "on" and "off" state of a gene.

Cancer study overturns current thinking about gene activation

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:15:15 EST

A new Australian study shows that large regions of the genome -- amounting to roughly 2 percent -- are epigenetically activated in prostate cancer. Regions activated contain many prostate cancer-specific genes, including PSA (prostate specific antigen) and PCA3, the most common prostate cancer markers. Until now, these genes were not known to be regulated epigenetically.

Insight into DNA reprogramming during egg and sperm cell development

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:23:23 EST

Scientists have gained a new understanding of when and how the DNA in developing egg and sperm cells is 'reset', in preparation for making a new embryo.

New evidence for epigenetic effects of diet on healthy aging

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:22:22 EST

New research in human volunteers has shown that molecular changes to our genes, known as epigenetic marks, are driven mainly by aging but are also affected by what we eat. The study showed that whilst age had the biggest effects on these molecular changes, selenium and vitamin D status reduced their accumulation, and high blood folate and obesity increased them. These findings support the idea that healthy aging is affected by what we eat.

Childhood trauma leaves mark on DNA of some victims: Gene-environment interaction causes lifelong dysregulation of stress hormones

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 16:40:40 EST

Abused children are at high risk of anxiety and mood disorders, as traumatic experience induces lasting changes to their gene regulation. Scientists have now documented for the first time that genetic variants of the FKBP5 gene can influence epigenetic alterations in this gene induced by early trauma.

Immune system could play a central role in age-related macular degeneration

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:39:39 EST

Changes in how genes in the immune system function may result in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of visual impairment in older adults. The findings are epigenetic in nature, meaning that the underlying DNA is normal but gene expression has been modified, likely by environmental factors, in an adverse way. Environmental factors associated with AMD include smoking, diet, and aging. This is the first epigenetic study revealing the molecular mechanisms for any eye disease.

Short DNA strands in genome may be key to understanding human cognition and diseases

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:06:06 EST

Previously discarded, human-specific “junk” DNA represents untapped resource in the study of diseases like Alzheimer’s and autism.

Evolution of human intellect: Human-specific regulation of neuronal genes

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 19:49:49 EST

A new study has identified hundreds of small regions of the genome that appear to be uniquely regulated in human neurons. These regulatory differences distinguish us from other primates, including monkeys and apes, and as neurons are at the core of our unique cognitive abilities, these features may ultimately hold the key to our intellectual prowess (and also to our potential vulnerability to a wide range of 'human-specific' diseases from autism to Alzheimer's).

Adenotonsillectomy may help resolve obstructive sleep apnea in children with Prader-Willi syndrome

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:09:09 EST

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome may receive relief from sleep disorders after undergoing an adenotonsillectomy, suggests a new study.

A new way of looking at Prader-Willi Syndrome

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:33:33 EST

An Australian study reveals that people with the rare genetic disorder known as Prader-Willi Syndrome may have an impaired autonomic nervous system. This discovery opens up a new way of looking at the insatiable appetite experienced by all sufferers, as well as their very high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Mutations in genes that modify DNA packaging result in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD)

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 15:38:38 EST

A worldwide group of collaborators has found that the way DNA is packaged in people with this form of muscular dystrophy may be responsible for their disease. A genetic error allows the DNA wrapping to relax and thereby allow a muscle-toxic substance to be produced. The mutation occurs in a gene know for its silencing effects.

Humans, chimpanzees and monkeys share DNA but not gene regulatory mechanisms

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:11:11 EST

Up to 40 percent of the differences in the expression or activity patterns of genes between humans, chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys can be explained by regulatory mechanisms that determine whether and how a gene's recipe for a protein is transcribed to the RNA molecule that carries the recipe instructions to the sites in cells where proteins are manufactured.

New findings on gene regulation and bone development

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:46:46 EST

The patients have single short fingers (metacarpals) and toes (metatarsals) and can be restricted in growth due to a shortened skeleton. This hereditary disease is called brachydactyly type E. Now, researchers have been able to show how the epigenetic mechanism, which, when dysregulated, causes this condition. They also shed light on a new principle of gene regulation.

How to make stem cells: Nuclear reprogramming moves a step forward

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:22:22 EDT

The idea of taking a mature cell and removing its identity (nuclear reprogramming) so that it can then become any kind of cell, holds great promise for repairing damaged tissue or replacing bone marrow after chemotherapy. New research shows that histone H3.3 deposited by the histone-interacting protein HIRA is a key step in reverting nuclei to a pluripotent type, capable of being any one of many cell types.

Deciphering the first epigenomes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:21:21 EDT

Researchers have deciphered the first epigenomes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Genes and immune system shaped by childhood poverty, stress

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:30:30 EDT

New research has revealed that childhood poverty, stress as an adult, and demographics such as age, sex and ethnicity, all leave an imprint on a person's genes. And, that this imprint could play a role in our immune response.

Epigenetic analysis of stomach cancer finds new disease subtypes

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:18:18 EDT

Researchers have identified numerous new subtypes of gastric cancer that are triggered by environmental factors.

Epigenetic difference in twins explains different risk of breast cancer

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:29:29 EDT

Researchers have identified an epigenetic change in a twin who will develop breast cancer but not in her healthy sister.

Replicating risk genes in bipolar disorder

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:54:54 EDT

One of the biggest challenges in psychiatric genetics has been to replicate findings across large studies. Scientists have now performed one of the largest ever genetic replication studies of bipolar affective disorder, with 28,000 subjects recruited from 36 different research centers. Their findings provide compelling evidence that the chromosome 3p21.1 locus contains a common genetic risk for bipolar disorder, the PBRM1 gene.

Adult stem cells change their epigenome to generate new organs

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:54:54 EDT

Scientists have identified epigenetic changes that occur in adult stem cells to generate different body tissues.

Scientists find missing link between players in the epigenetic code

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:21:21 EDT

New research has established the first link between the two most fundamental epigenetic tags -- histone modification and DNA methylation -- in humans.

Dioxin causes disease and reproductive problems across generations, study finds

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 21:39:39 EDT

Since the 1960s, when the defoliant Agent Orange was widely used in Vietnam, military, industry and environmental groups have debated the toxicity of its main ingredient, the chemical dioxin, and how it should be regulated. But even if all the dioxin were eliminated from the planet, researchers say its legacy will live on in the way it turns genes on and off in the descendants of people exposed over the past half century.

Study pinpoints epigenetic function of common cancer-causing protein: It's not what science thought

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:46:46 EDT

"This is a potent oncogene whose mechanism we thought we knew. But basically in this paper we demolish the accepted model. DNp63a doesn't work through p53 – it operates through epigenetic silencing of anti-proliferative genes," says the study's senior author, Joaquin M. Espinosa, Ph.D.

Making and breaking heterochromatin

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:32:32 EDT

To fit the two-meter long DNA molecule into a cell nucleus that is only a few thousandths of a millimetre in size, long sections of the DNA must be strongly compacted. Epigenetic marks maintain these sections, known as heterochromatin. Scientists have now discovered two further mechanisms necessary for the formation of heterochromatin.

Addictive properties of drug abuse may hold key to an HIV cure

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:46:46 EDT

A medical researcher is on a mission to explore the gene-controlling effects of addictive drugs in pursuit of new HIV treatments.

Epigenetics: Mother's nutrition -- before pregnancy -- may alter function of her children's genes

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:01:01 EDT

A pregnant mom's diet affects her child's health. Now, new research in mice suggests that what mom ate before pregnancy is also important. The diets of female mice before pregnancy chemically altered their DNA, with these changes passed to their offspring. These alterations affected the pups' metabolism of many essential fatty acids. These results may profoundly impact future research for diabetes, obesity, cancer, and immune disorders.

Genome-wide epigenomic screening reveals role of genes, cellular factors in thyroid disease

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:56:56 EDT

Genome-wide epigenomic screening can pinpoint disease-associated variants and identify novel genetic–epigenetic interactions in autoimmune thyroid diseases, according to new data.

Roles of novel epigenetic chemical in the brain illuminated

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:38:38 EDT

Researchers have identified a new role of a chemical involved in controlling the genes underlying memory and learning.

Scientists map the genomic blueprint of the heart

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:32:32 EDT

Scientists have revealed the precise order and timing of hundreds of genetic "switches" required to construct a fully functional heart from embryonic heart cells -- providing new clues into the genetic basis for some forms of congenital heart disease.

Epigenetics emerges powerfully as a clinical tool

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:18:18 EDT

In a new article, experts highlight the success of epigenetics to predict the behavior and weaknesses of tumors.