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Substance Use Risk Reduction
Published in Gia Merlo, Kathy Berra, Lifestyle Nursing, 2023
Large meta-analyses (MAs) have provided some understanding of the impact genetics have on the phenotypic traits of individuals who develop substance use problems, including genetic correlation with substance use and other mental illness (Walters et al., 2018; Lui et al., 2019; Polimanti et al., 2019). The relationship between genetics and behavior-related pathology is most richly explained through epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of gene expression changes that occur without changing the sequence of the genes and is a science that helps us to better understand phenotypic trait expression (Allis & Jenuwein, 2016). As people engage in harmful behaviors, cellular toxicity induces modifications to DNA methylation and histones; healthy communication between cells is disrupted, leading to pathological conditions. While these changes occur in every area of the body, key areas of the reward pathway are heavily targeted with problematic substance use (Walker et al., 2018)
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Published in Jason Liebowitz, Philip Seo, David Hellmann, Michael Zeide, Clinical Innovation in Rheumatology, 2023
Vaneet K. Sandhu, Neha V. Chiruvolu, Daniel J. Wallace
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism where a methyl group is transferred to the fifth carbon of the cytosine pyrimidine ring and involved in cell differentiation, silencing of transposable elements, and gene imprinting. UV light, hydralazine, and procainamide can inhibit DNA methylation, inciting SLE-like disease. One of the first studies on DNA methylation showed that suppressing this process in CD4+ T cells during mitosis led to formation of autoreactive CD4+ T cells. This was backed by more studies which revealed that expression of genes suppressed by DNA methylation can lead to T cell–mediated autoreactivity.83 Studies with microarrays have shown that hypomethylation of IFN genes such as MX1, BST2, and IFI44L can lead to SLE pathogenesis.50
Brain Health
Published in Carolyn Torkelson, Catherine Marienau, Beyond Menopause, 2023
Carolyn Torkelson, Catherine Marienau
Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes in how your genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible. Your DNA is not changed, but epigenetic changes can change how your body reads your DNA. This means that by optimizing positive health strategies that you can control—your environment, lifestyle, nutrition, and hormone health—you can influence your brain health. Taking care of your brain is a preventive measure that must begin early in life and continue during your later decades. Recent research on “epigenetic reprogramming” in mice offers distant promise for reversing the aging clock in people. But don’t wait around for scientific evidence before making positive lifestyle shifts.
Epigenetic regulation of T cell development
Published in International Reviews of Immunology, 2023
Avik Dutta, Harini Venkataganesh, Paul E. Love
Several reports suggest that polycomb group (PcG) proteins govern the H3K27 methylation mark [25] and that Polycomb repressor complex (PRC) maintains the repressive state. There are three groups of PRCs: PRC1, PRC2, and Polycomb Repressive-Deubiquitinase (PR-DUB) complex [26, 27]. Each group has individual ways of remodeling chromatin, contributing to the epigenetic repression of genes important for cell development and proliferation. The PRC1 complex, which consists of several proteins including BMI-1, Ring1, and HPH proteins, recognizes and trimethylates K27 of histone 3 (H3K27me3) and helps to maintain the repressive state. The PRC2 complex includes EZH1 (enhancer of zeste homolog 1), EZH2, EED and SUV12 and initiates early gene repression with the help of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and DNMTs [25]. The discovery of histone demethylase LSD1 (Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 A; encoded by the KDM1A gene) advanced the field as previously it was thought that histone methylation is permanent. This discovery has contributed to a dynamic view of chromatin remodeling [23, 28]. LSD1 demethylates H3K4 and H3K9 and is found to be upregulated in many cancers including T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) [29]. Several reports have also shown that the histone H3 K27 demethylases, KDM6A (Utx) and KDM6B (Jmjd3), help to shape the chromatin architecture and regulate gene expression by removing repressive histone modifications [30].
Effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on histone modifications and histone modifying enzymes expression in human cell lines
Published in Nanotoxicology, 2022
Marta Pogribna, Beverly Word, Beverly Lyn-Cook, George Hammons
Histone modification is a primary epigenetic mechanism. Given the involvement of aberrant histone modifications in the pathogenesis of an increasing number of disorders and diseases, there is growing interest in assessing the possible epigenetic toxicity induced by nanoparticles to understand better the potential risks for human health posed by these materials. Although exposure to nanoparticles has been shown to alter histone modifications in several test systems, the effect on this epigenetic mechanism has been studied to a lesser extent than other major mechanisms. We found reports of only one other study that involved TiO2 nanoparticles and histone H3 or H4 modifications and only one study that reported alteration of histone modifying enzymes expression by TiO2 nanoparticles exposure. This study investigated the impact of TiO2 nanoparticles exposures on histone modifications in two cell lines relevant to human exposures. The array analysis employed in the study included assessment of the major known H3 modifications and H4 modifications, as well as the main genes that encode key enzymes responsible for modifying histones, thereby, permitting a more comprehensive approach. The findings provide an important and needed contribution to this research area, as the evidence base is expanded.
Endometriosis: What is the Influence of Immune Cells?
Published in Immunological Investigations, 2021
Paula Carolina Arvelos Crispim, Millena Prata Jammal, Eddie Fernando Candido Murta, Rosekeila Simões Nomelini
Various fields of research are being implemented to clarify the relationship between endometriosis and the physiopathology of ovarian neoplasms, including epigenetics. Epigenetics is used to alter gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Examples of epigenetic changes associated with the malignant transformation of endometriosis include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding microRNAs (He et al. 2018). DNA methylation is one of the most studied epigenetic changes, with several studies showing an increased occurrence and progression of tumors in cases with DNA hypermethylation (Nguyen et al. 2014). Epigenetic changes that alter histones imply changes to gene transcription. Aberrant pathways in histone deacetylation are related to the growth and metastasis of cancer, including ovarian cancer (Marsh et al. 2014). Various studies have shown that enzymes involved in histone deacetylation increase in ovarian carcinomas and endometriotic tissue (Colón-Díaz et al. 2012).