1
|
Candore G, Accardi G, Aiello A, Baggio G, Bellini T, Calabrese V, Carreca AP, Carreca I, Masucci A, Cattaneo M, Dato S, Bona DD, Fabris L, Gambino C, Lorenzo GD, Franceschi C, Ligotti ME, Manfrinato MC, Puca AA, Tamburello M, Vassallo R, Caruso C. Sex and Gender in Ageing and Longevity: Highlights From an International Course. Transl Med UniSa 2024; 26:15-29. [PMID: 38560614 PMCID: PMC10980291 DOI: 10.37825/2239-9747.1049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Gender medicine is a multidisciplinary science and represents an important perspective for pathophysiological and clinical studies in the third millennium. Here, it is provided an overview of the topics discussed in a recent course on the Role of Sex and Gender in Ageing and Longevity. The paper highlights three themes discussed in the course, i.e., the interaction of gender/sex with, i) the pathophysiology of age-related diseases; ii), the role of genetics and epigenetics in ageing and longevity and, iii) the immune responses of older people to pathogens, vaccines, autoantigens, and allergens. Although largely unexplored, it is clear that sex and gender are modulators of disease biology and treatment outcomes. It is becoming evident that men and women should no longer be considered as subgroups, but as biologically distinct groups of patients deserving consideration for specific therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Candore
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital “P.Giaccone”, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Giulia Accardi
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Anna Aiello
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Giovannella Baggio
- Italian Center for Studies on Gender Health and Medicine, Padua University-Hospital, Padua,
Italy
| | - Tiziana Bellini
- University Center for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara,
Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara,
Italy
| | - Vittorio Calabrese
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania,
Italy
| | | | - Ignazio Carreca
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Anna Masucci
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital “P.Giaccone”, Palermo,
Italy
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| | | | - Serena Dato
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende,
Italy
| | - Danilo D. Bona
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia,
Italy
| | - Luca Fabris
- Italian Center for Studies on Gender Health and Medicine, Padua University-Hospital, Padua,
Italy
- Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua,
Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Digestive Disease Section, Yale University, New Haven, CT,
USA
| | - Caterina Gambino
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital “P.Giaccone”, Palermo,
Italy
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Gabriele D. Lorenzo
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky State University, Nizhny Novgorod,
Russia
- Institute of Biogerontology, Lobachevsky State University, Nizhny Novgorod,
Russia
| | - Mattia E. Ligotti
- Department of Research, ISMETT-IRCCS Mediterranean Institute for Transplants and Highly Specialized Therapies, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Maria C. Manfrinato
- University Center for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara,
Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara,
Italy
| | - Annibale A. Puca
- Cardiovascular Department, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan,
Italy
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno,
Italy
| | - Martina Tamburello
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital “P.Giaccone”, Palermo,
Italy
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Roberta Vassallo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital “P.Giaccone”, Palermo,
Italy
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Calogero Caruso
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo,
Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Weinstein SR, Erickson EN, Molina R, Bell AF. Maternal outcomes related to Genetic and epigenetic Variation in the oxytocin system: A scoping review. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100209. [PMID: 38108031 PMCID: PMC10724832 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose In this scoping review, we synthesize the literature on oxytocin and oxytocin receptor genetic and epigenetic variation in relationship to breastfeeding, maternal caregiving behavior, and maternal mental health. Methods A literature search was conducted in early 2022, and updated in 2023, utilizing the PRISMA scoping review reporting method, using the following MeSH headings and key terms: oxytocin, oxytocin receptor, genetics, epigenetics, methylation, pregnancy, postnatal, breastfeeding, lactation, mother-infant relations and perinatal outcomes. The search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria included: human literature which was peer reviewed and found in primary sources, printed in the English language. In addition, the study must have reported genetic/epigenetic data in either the oxytocin or oxytocin receptor gene (maternal or infant up to 12 months after birth) in relation to a breastfeeding, maternal caregiving behavior or a maternal mental health outcome. There was no date limitation. Four authors reviewed studies for eligibility. Data was extracted using a structured data extraction form. Results A total of 23 studies met inclusion criteria for this review (breastfeeding n = 4, maternal caregiving behavior n = 7, and maternal mental health n = 16). Seventeen papers reported on oxytocin or oxytocin receptor genotype and nine reported epigenetic associations (namely DNA methylation). These totals are greater than 23, as studies reported on multiple outcomes. One paper assessed the interaction between genotype and methylation. While a number of genotype variations were reported, the single nucleotide polymorphism rs53576 on the oxytocin receptor gene was the most studied. Overall, variation in this polymorphism was related to postnatal depression symptoms. Among numerous epigenetic markers, site -934 was the most studied methylation site, and methylation status was associated with maternal depression and maternal caregiving behavior outcomes. Results suggest that early life experiences impact adult maternal caregiving behaviors and mental health outcomes, and vary based on genetic vulnerability. Breastfeeding outcomes were minimally studied. Conclusion This scoping review found that genetic and epigenetic variation at the oxytocin and oxytocin receptor genes were associated with maternal caregiving behavior and mental health, likely through complex gene and environment interactions. The findings suggest that maternal early life experiences and stress impact later caregiving behaviors and mental health in the postnatal period. The findings highlight potential pathways by which environment, experiences, and genes interact to impact maternal caregiving behavior and maternal mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rodin Molina
- Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY, USA
- BabyMoon Inn Birth Center, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Aleeca F. Bell
- University of Arizona College of Nursing, Tucson, AZ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lappé M, Hein RJ. The Temporal Politics of Placenta Epigenetics: Bodies, Environments and Time. BODY & SOCIETY 2023; 29:49-76. [PMID: 37621557 PMCID: PMC10449375 DOI: 10.1177/1357034x211068883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
This article builds on feminist scholarship on new biologies and the body to describe the temporal politics of epigenetic research related to the human placenta. Drawing on interviews with scientists and observations at conferences and in laboratories, we argue that epigenetic research simultaneously positions placenta tissue as a way back into maternal and fetal bodies following birth, as a lens onto children's future well-being, and as a bankable resource for ongoing research. Our findings reflect how developmental models of health have helped recast the placenta as an agential organ that is uniquely responsive to environments during pregnancy and capable of embodying biological evidence about the effects of in utero experiences after birth. We develop the concept of 'recursive embodiment' to describe how placenta epigenetics is reimagining relationships between bodies and environments across developmental, epigenetic, and generational time, and the impacts this has for experiences of pregnancy and responsibilities related to children's health.
Collapse
|
4
|
Kour S, Biswas I, Sheoran S, Arora S, Sheela P, Duppala SK, Murthy DK, Pawar SC, Singh H, Kumar D, Prabhu D, Vuree S, Kumar R. Artificial intelligence and nanotechnology for cervical cancer treatment: Current status and future perspectives. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2023.104392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
|
5
|
Pinel C, Green S, Svendsen MN. Slowing down decay: biological clocks in personalized medicine. FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY 2023; 8:1111071. [PMID: 37139225 PMCID: PMC10149663 DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1111071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This article discusses so-called biological clocks. These technologies, based on aging biomarkers, trace and measure molecular changes in order to monitor individuals' "true" biological age against their chronological age. Drawing on the concept of decay, and building on ethnographic fieldwork in an academic laboratory and a commercial firm, we analyze the implications of the development and commercialization of biological clocks that can identify when decay is "out of tempo." We show how the building of biological clocks rests on particular forms of knowing decay: In the academic laboratory, researchers focus on endo-processes of decay that are internal to the person, but when the technology moves to the market, the focus shifts as staff bracket decay as exo-processes, which are seen as resulting from a person's lifestyle. As the technology of biological clocks travels from the laboratory to the market of online testing of the consumer's biological age, we observe shifting visions of aging: from an inevitable trajectory of decline to a malleable and plastic one. While decay is an inevitable trajectory starting at birth and ending with death, the commercialization of biological clocks points to ways of stretching time between birth and death as individuals "optimize" their biological age through lifestyle changes. Regardless of admitted uncertainties about what is measured and the connection between maintenance and future health outcomes, the aging person is made responsible for their decaying body and for enacting maintenance to slow down decay. We show how the biological clock's way of "knowing" decay turns aging and its maintenance into a life-long concern and highlight the normative implications of framing decay as malleable and in need of intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Pinel
- Centre for Medical Science and Technology Studies, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Clémence Pinel
| | - Sara Green
- Section for History of Philosophy of Science, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette N. Svendsen
- Centre for Medical Science and Technology Studies, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lock M, Argentieri MA, Shields AE. The contribution of ethnography to epigenomics research: toward a new bio-ethnography for addressing health disparities. Epigenomics 2021; 13:1771-1786. [PMID: 33653089 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This article describes ethnography as a research method and outlines how it excels in capturing the salient experiences of individuals among diverse communities in their own words. We argue that the integration of ethnographic findings into epigenomics will significantly improve disparities-focused study designs within environmental epigenomics by identifying and contextualizing the most salient dimensions of the 'environment' that are affecting local communities. Reciprocally, epigenetic findings can enhance anthropological understanding of human biological variation and embodiment. We introduce the term bio-ethnography to refer to research designs that integrate both of these methodologies into a single research project. Emphasis is given in this article, through the use of case studies, to socially disadvantaged communities that are often underrepresented in scientific literature. The paper concludes with preliminary recommendations for how ethnographic methods can be integrated into epigenomics research designs in order to elucidate the manner in which disadvantage translates into disparities in the burden of illness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Lock
- Department of Social Studies of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1X1, Canada
| | - M Austin Argentieri
- School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6PE, UK.,Harvard/MGH Center on Genomics, Vulnerable Populations, and Health Disparities, Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alexandra E Shields
- Harvard/MGH Center on Genomics, Vulnerable Populations, and Health Disparities, Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pinel C. Renting Valuable Assets: Knowledge and Value Production in Academic Science. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & HUMAN VALUES 2021; 46:275-297. [PMID: 33518849 PMCID: PMC7116635 DOI: 10.1177/0162243920911974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper explores what it takes for research laboratories to produce valuable knowledge in academic institutions marked by the coexistence of multiple evaluative frameworks. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork carried out in two UK-based epigenetics research laboratories, I examine the set of practices through which research groups intertwine knowledge production with the making of scientific, health and wealth value. This includes building and maintaining a portfolio of valuable resources, such as expertise, scientific credibility or data and turning these resources into assets by carefully organising and managing their value. Laboratories then put these assets to productive use within and outside their labs towards the creation or extraction of value. I identify two models for producing value within academic science: a commodity-based model whereby laboratories mobilise their assets to produce results, which can be converted into publications for the accumulation of credibility capital; and a rentier model of accumulation, whereby laboratories own valuable assets, which they rent out to others outside their lab against a revenue. Following recent developments in STS on value production in the bioeconomy, I argue that the concepts of asset and rent are essential analytical tools to get to grips with the origins of value within academic science.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Pinel
- Centre for Medical Science and Technology Studies, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lim YK, Cheung K, Dang X, Roberts SB, Wang X, Thiyagarajan V. DNA methylation changes in response to ocean acidification at the time of larval metamorphosis in the edible oyster, Crassostrea hongkongensis. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 163:105217. [PMID: 33276167 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Unprecedented rate of increased CO2 level in the ocean and the subsequent changes in carbonate system including decreased pH, known as ocean acidification (OA), is predicted to disrupt not only the calcification process but also several other physiological and developmental processes in a variety of marine organisms, including edible oysters. Nonetheless, not all species are vulnerable to those OA threats, e.g. some species may be able to cope with OA stress using environmentally induced modifications on gene and protein expressions. For example, external environmental stressors including OA can influence the addition and removal of methyl groups through epigenetic modification (e.g. DNA methylation) process to turn gene expression "on or off" as part of a rapid adaptive mechanism to cope with OA. In this study, we tested the above hypothesis through testing the effect of OA, using decreased pH 7.4 as proxy, on DNA methylation pattern of an endemic and a commercially important estuary oyster species, Crassostrea hongkongensis at the time of larval habitat selection and metamorphosis. Larval growth rate did not differ between control pH 8.1 and treatment pH 7.4. The metamorphosis rate of the pediveliger larvae was higher at pH 7.4 than those in control pH 8.1, however over one-third of the larvae raised at pH 7.4 failed to attach on optimal substrate as defined by biofilm presence. During larval development, a total of 130 genes were differentially methylated across the two treatments. The differential methylation in the larval genes may have partially accounted for the higher metamorphosis success rate under decreased pH 7.4 but with poor substratum selection ability. Differentially methylated loci were concentrated in the exon regions and appear to be associated with cytoskeletal and signal transduction, oxidative stress, metabolic processes, and larval metamorphosis, which implies the high potential of C. hongkongensis larvae to acclimate and adapt through non-genetic ways to OA threats within a single generation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Kian Lim
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Khan Cheung
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Xin Dang
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Steven B Roberts
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122, NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Vengatesen Thiyagarajan
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lim YK, Cheung K, Dang X, Roberts SB, Wang X, Thiyagarajan V. DNA methylation changes in response to ocean acidification at the time of larval metamorphosis in the edible oyster, Crassostrea hongkongensis. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 163:105214. [PMID: 33221553 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Unprecedented rate of increased CO2 level in the ocean and the subsequent changes in carbonate system including decreased pH, known as ocean acidification (OA), is predicted to disrupt not only the calcification process but also several other physiological and developmental processes in a variety of marine organisms, including edible oysters. Nonetheless, not all species are vulnerable to those OA threats, e.g. some species may be able to cope with OA stress using environmentally induced modifications on gene and protein expressions. For example, external environmental stressors including OA can influence the addition and removal of methyl groups through epigenetic modification (e.g. DNA methylation) process to turn gene expression "on or off" as part of a rapid adaptive mechanism to cope with OA. In this study, we tested the above hypothesis through testing the effect of OA, using decreased pH 7.4 as proxy, on DNA methylation pattern of an endemic and a commercially important estuary oyster species, Crassostrea hongkongensis at the time of larval habitat selection and metamorphosis. Larval growth rate did not differ between control pH 8.1 and treatment pH 7.4. The metamorphosis rate of the pediveliger larvae was higher at pH 7.4 than those in control pH 8.1, however over one-third of the larvae raised at pH 7.4 failed to attach on optimal substrate as defined by biofilm presence. During larval development, a total of 130 genes were differentially methylated across the two treatments. The differential methylation in the larval genes may have partially accounted for the higher metamorphosis success rate under decreased pH 7.4 but with poor substratum selection ability. Differentially methylated loci were concentrated in the exon regions and appear to be associated with cytoskeletal and signal transduction, oxidative stress, metabolic processes, and larval metamorphosis, which implies the high potential of C. hongkongensis larvae to acclimate and adapt through non-genetic ways to OA threats within a single generation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Kian Lim
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Khan Cheung
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Xin Dang
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Steven B Roberts
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Vengatesen Thiyagarajan
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Nutrition in Cancer Therapy in the Elderly-An Epigenetic Connection? Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12113366. [PMID: 33139626 PMCID: PMC7692262 DOI: 10.3390/nu12113366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous increase in life expectancy results in a steady increase of cancer risk, which consequently increases the population of older adults with cancer. Older adults have their age-related nutritional needs and often suffer from comorbidities that may affect cancer therapy. They frequently are malnourished and present advanced-stage cancer. Therefore, this group of patients requires a special multidisciplinary approach to optimize their therapy and increase quality of life impaired by aging, cancer, and the side effects of therapy. Evaluation strategies, taking advantage of comprehensive geriatric assessment tools, including the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), can help individualize treatment. As epigenetics, an emerging element of the regulation of gene expression, is involved in both aging and cancer and the epigenetic profile can be modulated by the diet, it seems to be a candidate to assist with planning a nutritional intervention in elderly populations with cancer. In this review, we present problems associated with the diet and nutrition in the elderly undergoing active cancer therapy and provide some information on epigenetic aspects of aging and cancer transformation. Nutritional interventions modulating the epigenetic profile, including caloric restriction and basal diet with modifications (elimination diet, supplementary diet) are discussed as the ways to improve the efficacy of cancer therapy and maintain the quality of life of older adults with cancer.
Collapse
|
11
|
Alam MN, Shapla UM, Shen H, Huang Q. Linking emerging contaminants exposure to adverse health effects: Crosstalk between epigenome and environment. J Appl Toxicol 2020; 41:878-897. [PMID: 33113590 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Environmental epigenetic findings shed new light on the roles of epigenetic regulations in environmental exposure-induced toxicities or disease susceptibilities. Currently, environmental emerging contaminants (ECs) are in focus for further investigation due to the evidence of human exposure in addition to their environmental occurrences. However, the adverse effects of these environmental ECs on health through epigenetic mechanisms are still poorly addressed in many aspects. This review discusses the epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA expressions) linking ECs exposure to health outcomes. We emphasized on the recent literature describing how ECs can dysregulate epigenetic mechanisms and lead to downstream health outcomes. These up-to-date research outputs could provide novel insights into the toxicological mechanisms of ECs. However, the field still faces a demand for further studies on the broad spectrum of health effects, synergistic/antagonistic effects, transgenerational epigenetic effects, and epidemiologic and demographic data of ECs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md Nur Alam
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ummay Mahfuza Shapla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Heqing Shen
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.,State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Qingyu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pinel C. When more data means better results: Abundance and scarcity in research collaborations in epigenetics. SOCIAL SCIENCES INFORMATION. INFORMATION SUR LES SCIENCES SOCIALES 2020; 59:35-58. [PMID: 32255899 PMCID: PMC7136073 DOI: 10.1177/0539018419895456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Drawing upon ethnographic findings from an epigenetics research laboratory in the United Kingdom, this paper explores practices of research collaborations in the field of epigenetics, and epigenomics research consortia in particular. I demonstrate that research consortia are key scientific infrastructures that enable the aggregation of masses of data deemed necessary for the production of results and the fostering of epistemic value. Building on STS scholarship on value production, and the concept of asset, I show that the production of valuable research within epigenomics research consortia rests on the active organisation and management of abundance and scarcity. It involves shaping and standardising the masses of data gathered in consortia, while it also entails research teams enclosing their data within their laboratories' walls. As they do so, research teams construct data into scarce and monopolised assets, which they can put to productive use in collaborative endeavours against a revenue. In addition to contributing empirical and critical insights into the ways epigenetics knowledge is formed and negotiated in specific research contexts, this paper offers conceptual tools to examine and problematise knowledge production practices in data-intensive research more broadly. In particular, it points out that while contemporary big biology is marked by the generalised imperative to 'share' data and 'open' science, collaborative endeavours within research consortia are built around forms of exclusions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Pinel
- Centre for Medical Science and Technology Studies, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Guo Y, Wang W, Chen Y, Sun Y, Li Y, Guan F, Shen Q, Guo Y, Zhang W. Continuous gibberellin A3 exposure from weaning to sexual maturity induces ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis by activating Fas-mediated death receptor signaling pathways and changing methylation patterns on caspase-3 gene promoters. Toxicol Lett 2020; 319:175-186. [PMID: 31733319 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2019.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Information on the effects of gibberellic acid (gibberellin A3, GA3) on ovarian follicle development is limited. In our present study, 21-day-old female Wistar rats were exposed to GA3 by gavage (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight, once per day) for eight weeks to evaluate the influence of GA3 on ovarian follicle development. After treatment, significant (P < 0.05) increases (to 40.17 % and 44.5 %, respectively) in atretic follicle proportions and significant decreases (to 19.49 % and 17.86 %, respectively) in corpus luteum proportions were observed in the 50 and 100 mg/kg treatment groups compared to the control group. Significant (P < 0.05) increases (to 31.3 % and 42.0 %, respectively) in follicle apoptosis were observed in the 50 and 100 mg/kg treatment groups by transmission electron microscopy and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays. Significantly increased expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9 and Fas was observed by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) revealed obviously decreased total methylation percentages of the caspase-3 promoter region in the two treatment groups. Real-time quantitative PCR also showed significantly decreased mRNA expression of DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) 3a and Dnmt3b. Further in vitro studies showed that a DNA methylation inhibitor could enhance the GA3-induced increase in the mRNA expression of caspase-3. Overall, our present study indicates that GA3 administration from weaning until sexual maturity can affect ovarian follicle development by inducing apoptosis and suggests that signaling through the Fas-mediated apoptotic pathway may be an important underlying mechanism of this apoptosis. In addition, GA3-induced aberrant DNA methylation patterns might be partly responsible for upregulation of caspase-3 gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Guo
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China; Department of Health Inspection and Quarantine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wenxiang Wang
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China; Department of Health Inspection and Quarantine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
| | - Yiqin Chen
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China; Department of Health Inspection and Quarantine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Teaching Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yuchen Li
- Department of Health Inspection and Quarantine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Fangyuan Guan
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Qi Shen
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yiruo Guo
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wenchang Zhang
- Department of Health Inspection and Quarantine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
|
15
|
Szymanski E, Scher E. Models for DNA Design Tools: The Trouble with Metaphors Is That They Don't Go Away. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:2635-2641. [PMID: 31580653 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic biology relies heavily on DNA design tools to enable manipulation of DNA in silico. Existing tools, however, are falling short of enabling aspirations for the field that emphasize efficient, automated design pipelines. We review existing DNA design tools, identify underlying similarities in how they model correlations between DNA structure and function, and suggest that iterating the existing model is unlikely to overcome limitations in matching software applications to design aspirations. The current model is predicated on metaphors conceptualizing DNA as linear text, accounting for relatively little of the known complexity of DNA function. New models that can account for more of that complexity and thus enable more ambitious DNA design goals are likely to call for new underlying metaphors-a need that may be addressed by rethinking DNA in terms of human rather than computer languages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erika Szymanski
- Colorado State University, Department of English, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Emily Scher
- Informatics Forum, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Saldaña-Tejeda A, Wade P. Eugenics, Epigenetics, and Obesity Predisposition among Mexican Mestizos. Med Anthropol 2019; 38:664-679. [DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2019.1589466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abril Saldaña-Tejeda
- Department of Philosophy, Division of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Peter Wade
- Department of Social Anthropology, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Warin M, Hammarström A. Material Feminism and Epigenetics: A ‘Critical Window’ for Engagement? AUSTRALIAN FEMINIST STUDIES 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/08164649.2018.1538695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan Warin
- Department of Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies, School of Social Sciences and The Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Anne Hammarström
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|