Understanding How H3K4me1 Affects the Ageing Stem CellDecember 4, 2014Even though we don’t want to admit it, we all see changes in ourselves as the years pass by. A few more inches round the waistline here, and a little less muscle tone there, all due to a little less exercise and a little more food and drink! But what changes occur in our stem […]
Unwinding the Chromatin–Cancer ConnectionDecember 4, 2014There’s no denying that epigenetics and cancer are intimately intertwined, and that untangling this connection is vitally important in expanding our understanding of cancer initiation and development. Epigenetic signals are reversible regulators of gene expression and as such, make compelling targets in the study and treatment of cancer. As high-throughput data analysis becomes the norm, entire panels […]
EpiGenie Book Review: Epigenetics in PsychiatryDecember 3, 2014Epigenetics in Psychiatry brings together a collection of researchers in the field of neuroepigenetics to provide insight into research on the role of epigenetics in a range of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and suicide. Not content with covering only these topics it also provides information on the techniques and animal models […]
Developmental Windows: Dutch Hunger WinterDecember 2, 2014Famine is never a good thing, particularly if you’re a developing fetus. And while the role of maternal diet in fetal programming is nothing new to the world of DNA methylation, there’s still a lot to be learned about the subtle variations. When it comes to growth and metabolism, timing of the environmental exposure appears is important, […]
DNMTs Divide Their Dynamic DNA Methylation LabourNovember 27, 2014Splitting up work amongst the team is always a sound strategy for success. We’ve seen that the TET family likes to divide it’s labour and now, not so suprisingly, the ever so famous DNA methyltransferases have also been caught working smart. Researchers from the Center for Individualized Medicine at the Mayo Clinic used acute and combined depletions […]