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 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
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
DNA Methylation Solves Crimes
In an episode of the popular procedural drama Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, entitled ‘Perverted’, the show’s protagonist, Detective Olivia Benson, was accused of murder after her DNA was found to match DNA isolated from blood recovered from the murder weapon. Without alibi, Detective Benson was arrested, her reputation in jeopardy. As her colleagues worked … Continue reading DNA Methylation Solves Crimes
Maternal Smoking Epigenetically Harms Child Development
Thankfully, smoking is a habit all pregnant women are advised to break. But, surprisingly, this wasn’t always the case, especially in the 1940s and 1950s when doctors endorsed smoking in tobacco advertisements. Tobacco companies even ran ads hinting that pregnant women could smoke as a way to calm their nerves. With the influx of research … Continue reading Maternal Smoking Epigenetically Harms Child Development
Epigenetic Study of Histone Modifications and DNA Damage Could Lead to New Cancer Treatments
DNA damage occurs frequently to cells as a result of normal cellular processes, but one of the worst genetic malfunctions that can occur is DNA double-strand breaks, or DSBs. This can lead to cancer and increased resistance to cancer therapy. New research from scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported their … Continue reading Epigenetic Study of Histone Modifications and DNA Damage Could Lead to New Cancer Treatments
Dr. Eddy Bettermann MD 