Insights into Health Risks — A study led by Dr. Francine Einstein, published in the October 10, 2014 issue of Nature Communications, has, for the first time, detected epigenetic changes caused by two very different intrauterine environments: those yielding abnormally small and abnormally large infants. The researchers carried out genome-wide DNA methylation assays on purified hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells obtained from the cord blood of healthy newborns. Compared to controls, both abnormally large and small infants showed similar global shifts towards DNA hypermethylation (i.e., greater numbers of methyl groups attached to DNA in cells). The study also found methylation differences among girl and boy babies: greater changes in DNA methylation patterns were detected in growth-restricted males and large-for-gestational-age females. Infants at the two extremes of fetal growth face increased risk for cardiovascular and other diseases on reaching adulthood. The findings suggest that epigenetic mechanisms may underlie this increased disease risk, perhaps by causing cellular aging or other alterations in cell metabolism. A companion paper that Dr. Einstein co-authored with Dr. John Greally also appeared in the same issue of the journal. Dr. Einstein is associate professor of obstetrics & gynecology and women’s health and of medicine. Dr. Greally is professor of genetics, of medicine and of pediatrics, as well as Faculty Scholar for Epigenomics.
Posted on: Wednesday, November 12, 2014