DNA Methylation News and Research

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DNA methylation is a type of chemical modification of DNA that can be inherited and subsequently removed without changing the original DNA sequence. As such, it is part of the epigenetic code and is also the most well characterized epigenetic mechanism.

Exploring the epigenetic impact of smoking across racial and ethnic groups

Smoking changes the way genes are expressed, which later contributes to the development of lung cancer and other smoking-related illnesses.

1 Mar 2024

Educational attainment linked to slower aging and increased longevity

Participants in the Framingham Heart Study who achieved higher levels of education tended to age more slowly and went on to live longer lives as compared to those who did not achieve upward educational mobility, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center.

1 Mar 2024

Breakthrough gene silencing method slashes cholesterol for a year in mice, no DNA damage

Researchers developed an engineered transcriptional repressor that durably silences the Pcsk9 gene in mice, reducing cholesterol levels for up to a year with a single treatment, showcasing a potential breakthrough in genetic disorder treatments without the risks of DNA mutation.

29 Feb 2024

Study reveals distinct molecular features of proximal and distal colon cancers

The colon is often thought of as one organ, but the right and left parts of the colon have different molecular features in cancers.

27 Feb 2024

Link between gut microbiome and premature aging unveiled in chronic HIV patients

The Wistar Institute's associate professor Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Ph.D., has demonstrated, with his lab and collaborators, a connection between viral damage to the gut and premature biological aging.

22 Feb 2024

Mediterranean diet linked to better semen quality, study finds

A systematic review reveals that adherence to the Mediterranean diet improves semen quality in men of reproductive age, suggesting a positive impact on male reproductive health.

19 Feb 2024

New epigenetic clocks distinguish aging causes and effects

What causes us to age? New "clocks" developed by researchers may help point to the answers. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, unveil a new form of epigenetic clock – a machine learning model designed to predict biological age from DNA structure.

14 Feb 2024

Smoking, infection, and BMI found to significantly sway immune response, study shows

Study reveals how smoking, CMV latent infection, and BMI significantly influence cytokine release, impacting immune response variability and potentially affecting disease risk.

14 Feb 2024

Study reveals the long-term effects of smoking on immunity

Like other factors such as age, sex and genetics, smoking has a major impact on immune responses. This is the finding recently made by a team of scientists at the Institut Pasteur using the Milieu Intérieur cohort of 1,000 healthy volunteers, established to understand variability in immune responses.

14 Feb 2024

DDT exposure found to alter sperm epigenome in humans

In a study that signals potential reproductive and health complications in humans, now and for future generations, researchers from McGill University, the University of Pretoria, Université Laval, Aarhus University, and the University of Copenhagen, have concluded that fathers exposed to environmental toxins, notably DDT, may produce sperm with health consequences for their children.

9 Feb 2024

New cervical cancer detection method promises to reduce unnecessary screenings

The BMC Medicine study introduces the CerMe detection method, using PCDHGB7 hypermethylation to effectively triage high-risk HPV-positive women, potentially reducing unnecessary colposcopy referrals.

8 Feb 2024

Researchers introduce new approach for accurately assessing cell composition in the pancreas

Research introduces new DNA methylation-based method for accurately assessing cell composition in the human pancreas, addressing a critical gap in diabetes research.

7 Feb 2024

Single-cell study reveals clues to epigenetic drug response in Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Researchers from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, spearheaded by the Cancer Epigenetics group led by Dr. Manel Esteller, described the effects of chemotherapy at the single cell resolution in the bone marrow of Myelodysplastic Syndrome patients.

6 Feb 2024

Decoding cancer's spread: Epigenetic switch controls metastasis formation

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University investigated in mice how spreading tumor cells behave at the site of metastasis: Some tumor cells immediately start to form metastases.

5 Feb 2024

Is there an association between vitamin D, immunocompetence, and aging?

The role of an individual’s immunocompetence in the responsiveness to vitamin D.

1 Feb 2024

XRCC1 shows potential as a prognostic and immunological pan-cancer biomarker

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 1, entitled, "XRCC1: a potential prognostic and immunological biomarker in LGG based on systematic pan-cancer analysis."

30 Jan 2024

New technology increases visibility of cancer cells to the immune system

A new technology to increase visibility of cancer cells to the immune system using CRISPR has been developed, and could lead to a new way to treat cancer.

30 Jan 2024

LTBR identified as potential target for cancer immunotherapy and marker of poor prognosis

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 1, entitled, "Systematic analysis of the prognostic value and immunological function of LTBR in human cancer."

23 Jan 2024