June 1, 2012 at 8:10am
Just like stem cell science, we're going to be hearing a lot about epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression. "Epi" simply means outside of or above.
These patterns of gene expression are governed by the cellular material — the epigenome — that sits on top of the genome, just outside it. It is these epigenetic "marks" that tell your genes to speak loudly or whisper. It is through epigenetic marks that environmental factors like diet, stress and prenatal nutrition can make an imprint on genes that is passed from one generation to the next.
This new avenue of research looks at how environment changes our genes, by switching them on or off--this includes what we eat and drink, what we come in contact with, and how we move and handle stress. How we live our lives can create and change our genes.
We used to believe that there was no outside influence that could effect our genes. What you were born with was what you had for the rest of your life. And this is true in many instances. Your baby blue eyes are thanks to Grandma. But Grandpa's diabetes or heart disease aren't your destiny.
This is why identical twins can have different diseases. We see this in cancer, heart disease and MS.
Recent research has shown that, just like cardiovascular disease, there is not one specific gene related to multiple sclerosis. The closest researchers have come is to isolate the HLA locus and the MHC gene. But only 4% of pwMS have this gene. This has lead some researchers to posit that MS may be an epigenetic disease-
For an excellent article, published just last month on epigenetics and MS--
There's something you can do to change your own cells. Today. Honest.
