Mapping the past, present and future research landscape of paternal effects

BACKGROUND

Although in all sexually reproducing organisms an individual has a mother and a father, non-genetic inheritance has been predominantly studied in mothers. Paternal effects have been far less frequently studied, until recently. In the last 5 years, research on environmentally induced paternal effects has grown rapidly in the number of publications and diversity of topics. Here, we provide an overview of this field using synthesis of evidence (systematic map) and influence (bibliometric analyses).

RESULTS

We find that motivations for studies into paternal effects are diverse. For example, from the ecological and evolutionary perspective, paternal effects are of interest as facilitators of response to environmental change and mediators of extended heredity. Medical researchers track how paternal pre-fertilization exposures to factors, such as diet or trauma, influence offspring health. Toxicologists look at the effects of toxins. We compare how these three research guilds design experiments in relation to objects of their studies: fathers, mothers and offspring. We highlight examples of research gaps, which, in turn, lead to future avenues of research.

CONCLUSIONS

The literature on paternal effects is large and disparate. Our study helps in fostering connections between areas of knowledge that develop in parallel, but which could benefit from the lateral transfer of concepts and methods.

Immunomodulation of carcinogens-induced steroids-dependent human diseases

The experimental and clinical data about antibodies against environmental chemical carcinogens and endogenous steroids are represented. The conception of immunomodulation of carcinogens- and steroids-dependent human diseases is proposed. It is postulated that antibodies to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines in cooperation with antibodies to cholesterol, sex hormones, mineralo- and glucocorticoids stimulate or inhibit cancer, malformation, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases depending on their personal combination. It is recommended to use immunoassay of these antibodies for the human diseases prediction. The alternative approaches for prevention using the probiotics transformed by anti-carcinogen antibodies are substantiated.