The Epigenome And Developmental Origins Of Health And Disease

The Epigenome and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease synthesizes the existing knowledge on how the in utero environment could be the most important environment in shaping later risk for various diseases or to conversely promote the health of the offspring. The book mines the existing literature from a variety of disciplines from toxicology to nutrition to epigenetics to reveal how contrasting maternal in utero environmental changes might be leading to epigenetic convergence and the resulting deleterious phenotypic and physiological effects in our offspring. It is increasingly becoming apparent that even subtle changes in the mother’s diet, stress, and exposure to low concentrations of toxic chemicals at levels deemed safe by the EPA and FDA, such as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC), can dramatically impact the health of our children, possibly leading to metabolic, cardiovascular, immunological, neurobehavioral disorders, and increased risk for cancer to list but a few examples. Informs how everyday choices pregnant women make can impact child development Ties together how in utero environmental changes may be inducing epigenetic changes in the offspring leading to overlapping phenotypes regardless of the initial insult (toxic, nutrition, or stress) Includes a boxed-in area in each chapter for further references and resources to keep up with the field Features video interviews with the authors and other key leaders in the field

Fully revised new edition highlighting the scientific and clinical advances in the field of developmental origins of health and disease. Explores new understanding of mechanisms such as epigenetics and the role of environmental influences on the fetus. Interventions throughout the lifespan and implications for public health are also covered.

This book addresses the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), a new medical concept that demonstrates that various adult diseases start in the fetal period. It discusses our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of DOHaD, including gene body epigenetics and non-coding RNA, and comprehensively examines diseases such type 2 diabetes, a well known as standard DOHaD-associated disease, as well as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension and neurodevelopmental disorders. It argues that most adult diseases start at a very early stage, such as in the fetal and neonatal periods, and that earlier prevention and intervention would result in better outcomes for adult diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiac disorders, which are increasing in both developed and developing countries. The book appeals to obstetricians and pediatricians, as well as physicians who treat adult patients, wanting to understand the origins of diseases.

This landmark publication provides the first definitive account of how and why subtle influences on the fetus and during early life can have such profound consequences for adult health and diseases. Although the epidemiological evidence for this link has long proved compelling, it is only much more recently that the scientific and physiological basis has begun to be studied in depth and fully understood. The compilation, written by many of the world's leading experts in this exciting field, summarizes these scientific and clinical advances.

WHAT IS EPIGENETICS? Epigenetics is an emerging field of science that studies alterations in gene expression caused by factors other than changes in the DNA sequence. Epigenetics: The Death of the Genetic Theory of Disease Transmission is the result of decades of research and its findings that could be as critical to our understanding of human health as Pasteur’s research in bacteriology. Dr. Joel “Doc” Wallach has dedicated his life work to identifying connections between certain nutritional deficiencies and a range of maladies, formerly thought to be hereditary, including Cystic Fibrosis and Muscular Dystrophy. This nexus between nutrition and so-called genetic disease has been observed in both humans and primates, and it is the central theme of Epigenetics. To bring us Epigenetics, Wallach has teamed with noted scholars Dr. Ma Lan and Dr. Gerhard N. Schrauzer. Their collective expertise gives this book its far reaching perspective. Epigenetics is of vital importance to anyone who wants real knowledge about how the human body functions, and it provides a path for better health. Epigentics dispels the dogma and misinformation propagated by medical institutions and doctors resistant to change. Epigenetics is the beginning of a new era of well-being on this planet.

The exploding field of epigenetics is challenging the dogma of traditional Mendelian inheritance. Epigenetics plays an important role in shaping who we are and contributes to our prospects of health and disease. While early epigenetic research focused on plant and animal models and in vitro experiments, population-based epidemiologic studies increasingly incorporate epigenetic components. The relevance of epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, genomic imprinting, and histone modification for disease causation has yet to be fully explored. This book covers the basic concepts of epigenetic epidemiology, discusses challenges in study design, analysis, and interpretation, epigenetic laboratory techniques, the influence of of age and environmental factors on shaping the epigenome, the role of epigenetics in the developmental origins hypothesis, and provides the state of the art on the epigenetic epidemiology of various health conditions including childhood syndromes, cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders, and atherosclerosis. With contributions from: Peter Jones, Jean-Pierre Issa, Gavin Kelsey, Robert Waterland, and many other experts in epigenetics!