Epigenetics

Researchers have developed an algorithm that uses genetic markers to predict whether a type 2 diabetic will develop kidney disease years in advance, offering early treatment of this common and serious - but preventable - complication.

Harvard scientists have investigated why we age, and how we could stop it. In tests in mice, the team showed that epigenetic “software glitches” drive the symptoms of aging – and a system reboot can reverse them, potentially extending lifespan.

New research has homed in on the way our genes can be turned up or down depending on levels of physical activity. The unique study focused on exercise-induced epigenetic differences in genetically identical twins.

Researchers at EPFL have found that an existing drug used to treat cancer, among other things, also seems to improve memory. Intriguingly, tests in mice show that the drug works by switching on genes associated with brain plasticity.

Sharing information is crucial for species to survive, but how do simple lifeforms like worms spread the word? New research has found that roundworms can transfer “memories” to their neighbors, and pass them down to their offspring for generations.

A study using epigenetic markers to track aging has found prematurely born boys seem to age faster than prematurely born girls. Why is unclear, but the research suggests the health of male preterm survivors should be closely monitored across their life.

A proof-of-concept study is suggesting epigenetic biomarkers in a father's sperm can predict how susceptible their offspring will be to developing ASD. The research is still in preliminary stages requiring further investigation in larger cohorts.

Using gene therapy, Harvard scientists have restored vision to mice suffering glaucoma by rewinding the aging process in their cells. The team says the research is a proof of concept for slowing the symptoms of aging with epigenetics.

New research suggests violent or traumatic experiences in childhood can accelerate biological signs of aging. Early puberty, rapid cellular aging, and structural brain changes could all be linked to violent childhood trauma, but not poverty or neglect.

Geneticists at Penn State University have manipulated the expression of one gene in a plant that makes them more resilient to environmental change – and found that this is passed down to future generations.

The difference between biological age and chronological age, as shown on our birth certificates, can reveal health problems associated with premature aging, and now scientists have devised a tool to study it in children for the first time.

We know baby birds communicate, often loudly, and mostly about food, but a new study suggests they can also communicate with each other while still in the egg. This method of communication influences the behavioral and physiological traits of newly-hatched chicks from the same clutch of eggs.