A new epigenetic study has identified 30 genes connected to allergies and asthma that make people more susceptible to these conditions. Using the newly discovered gene targets from this study, scientists could potentially create drugs to combat allergic diseases and reduce allergic responses. About 6.8 million children and 18.7 million adults in the U.S. suffer … Continue reading Epigenetic Study Finds New Potential Drug Targets for Asthma and Allergies
HDAC Inhibitor Could Sharpen Memory and Treat Cancer
New research has found that a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor drug used to treat cancer could also help sharpen memory and improve one’s ability to learn a new language. It could even help rewire the brain and sustain neurons which could be of benefit to those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Researchers from Rutgers published a study … Continue reading HDAC Inhibitor Could Sharpen Memory and Treat Cancer
RNA Methylation Gives Epigenetic Clues to Strengthening Memory
Memory is a complex process, one that we have only just begun to understand. Research hints that it might be possible for histone modification to degrade memory if we don’t get enough sleep or that certain epigenetic anti-cancer drugs known as HDAC inhibitors could sharpen memory. RNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that has been recently gained a lot of … Continue reading RNA Methylation Gives Epigenetic Clues to Strengthening Memory
DNA Methylation Gives Epigenetic Hope to Cocaine Addiction Treatment
Not only is cocaine a highly addictive drug, but it also comes with an incredibly high chance of relapse even after someone has abstained and experienced symptoms of withdrawal. A new study is illuminating the epigenetic changes made to DNA during the withdrawal stage for those trying to rid themselves of the drug and offers … Continue reading DNA Methylation Gives Epigenetic Hope to Cocaine Addiction Treatment
The Precise Power of CRISPR/Cas9 System Creates Exciting Opportunities for Genetic and Epigenetic Editing
A breakthrough genome-editing technique known as CRISPR has been shown by MIT biological engineers to disrupt a single parasite gene in a matter of weeks, with a success rate as great as 100 percent. In light of this and other recent research, the possibilities for the CRISPR/Cas9 system are substantial for precisely editing the genome and … Continue reading The Precise Power of CRISPR/Cas9 System Creates Exciting Opportunities for Genetic and Epigenetic Editing
DNA Methyltransferase (DNMT) Could Help Boost Memory and Reduce Anxiety
Imagine if increasing a certain type of epigenetic enzyme could ease anxiety or cure post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by simply erasing troubling memories? What if it could also enhance cognitive abilities and improve long-term memory and learning? In previous blog articles, researchers found that an immune-suppressing drug that inhibits HDACs could stop aversive memories and the epigenetic … Continue reading DNA Methyltransferase (DNMT) Could Help Boost Memory and Reduce Anxiety
“I Am No Longer Haunted By That Awful Memory” – New Epigenetic Drug Treatment May Erase Painful Memories
Is it possible for a drug to dampen a traumatic memory? It may be, as researchers are discovering that a fundamental epigenetic mechanism is responsible for long-term fear memory. Neuroplasticity, also called brain plasticity, refers to the changes in neural connections such as synapses and neural pathways as a result of changes in behavior, environmental … Continue reading “I Am No Longer Haunted By That Awful Memory” – New Epigenetic Drug Treatment May Erase Painful Memories
Do We Already Have A Drug That Could Epigenetically Erase Traumatic Memories?
Scientists at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine discovered that the drug fingolimod, which is used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), could potentially benefit individuals who wish to get rid of painful and traumatic memories. While MS is still not entirely understood, the disease involves a process that is immune-mediated in which the immune … Continue reading Do We Already Have A Drug That Could Epigenetically Erase Traumatic Memories?
Down a Path of Epigenetic Destruction: Smoking Cigarettes Adjusts Critical Marks on DNA
You can now add “harmful changes to your DNA” to the long list of reasons to quit smoking cigarettes, along with lung cancer, coronary heart disease, increased risk of death, stroke, chronic lung disease, decreased immune function, infertility, and the fact that smoking harms nearly every organ in the body. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer … Continue reading Down a Path of Epigenetic Destruction: Smoking Cigarettes Adjusts Critical Marks on DNA
Insight Into the Inheritance of Epigenetic Marks
An individual’s DNA contains the sequence of nucleotide bases that provide instructions for how every cell in their body is to develop and differentiate. When DNA is read, its instructions are followed to guide the development of cells, allowing genes to be “expressed”. Scientists are actively working to map out the cellular signaling pathways that determine … Continue reading Insight Into the Inheritance of Epigenetic Marks
Dr. Eddy Bettermann MD 