epigenetics

[Stem Cell Reports] Given the interplay between DNAme and the other epigenetic features, researchers profiled DNA methylation following Setdb1 knockout in ground-state and serum-grown mESCs to illuminate DNAme-dependent and -independent functions of SetDB1.

Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02568-4 Raffington et al. find that providing low-income mothers with cash gifts for the first four years of their children’s lives appears to change the children’s epigenetic biological ageing in ways associated with better health in adulthood.

Nature Communications, Published online: 02 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77108-9 Here the authors show that in Arabidopsis, DNA methylation can both antagonize and promote Polycomb silencing in a direct, locus-specific manner, thus revealing an interplay that shapes the epigenome.

[Molecular Oncology] Scientists discussed various epigenetic mechanisms controlling cancer cell-intrinsic states, cancer cell–TME crosstalk, current epigenetic therapies, and future research directions that may lead to the discovery of new biomarkers and the development of effective epigenetic anticancer therapeutics.

dc.title: Does a lifetime of employment instability and poor-quality jobs accelerate biological aging? dc.description: Using 1992–2016 data from the Health and Retirement Study and blood biomarkers from 3,000 older adults, this study found that midlife histories of not working for pay and poor-quality jobs were linked to faster epigenetic aging.

Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that switching to a vegan diet for just one month can alter the body's epigenetic landscape in ways associated with reduced inflammation and biological aging.

A large meta-analysis shows breastfeeding is linked to subtle DNA methylation differences in infants, suggesting a molecular basis for long-term health effects.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and recurrent psychiatric disorder characterized by alternating manic, hypomanic, and depressive episodes, frequent comorbidity, high relapse rates, and an increased risk of suicide. Although the pathophysiology of BD remains incompletely understood, increasing evidence suggests that DNA methylation may represent an important epigenetic regulatory layer involved …

The experiences we face early in life may leave their marks on our health in ways that echo across decades-and even across the entire body.

Nature Communications, Published online: 15 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73847-x Here the authors generate a new genome and the first embryonic methylomes of an Australian marsupial to show that the embryo retains high DNA methylation while the trophectoderm undergoes erasure, suggesting placental epigenetic reprogramming is ancestral to therians.

Background: Preterm infants requiring prolonged hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are often exposed to early-life stress, which may contribute to long-term health consequences. Epigenetic markers, particularly DNA methylation (DNAm) of stress-related genes such as SLC6A4 and NR3C1 , have been identified as potential biomarkers of early-life stress. Limited research has co…

A major mouse study found that some inherited traits are passed down through epigenetic changes that break the classic rules of genetics. Researchers discovered hundreds of cases where these chemical DNA marks behaved unexpectedly, including some that seemed to emerge out of nowhere. They also identified the first known naturally occurring paramutation in a mammal, hinting that environmental infl…

Live Science spoke with Alika Maunakea, an Native Hawaiian epigeneticist, about how epigenetics underpins health disparities between Native Hawaiians and others in Hawaii.

Evidence is growing from rodent studies that sperm carries marks of a father’s life experiences, influencing traits in offspring. Bits of RNA could be the drivers of these epigenetic effects.

Nature Physics, Published online: 29 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41567-026-03263-x During development, cells acquire their identity—a process that depends on epigenetic modifications such as methylation. Now, a statistical physics analysis of methylation helps explain embryonic symmetry breaking.

The gut microbiome and epigenetics-molecular switches that turn genes on or off-are intertwined, and both contribute to neurodevelopment, finds a study publishing April 10 in the Cell Press journal Cell Press Blue.

What if the experiences of one generation could influence the biology of the next? With the launch of our new Collection, we invited Guest Editors Rana Dajani and Jason Gardiner to discuss the science and implications of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.

Author: Dr. Sameera Abuaish Affiliations: Basic Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Princess, Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Key themes: Neuroscience capacity building • Molecular and translational neuroscience • Epigenetics • Neuron–glia metabolic interactions • Neurogenetics of autism • Regional research development • International collaboration Reflection #1 Neuroscience research in …

Diet, pollution, stress and lifestyle choices influence DNA methylation—an epigenetic process that controls how your genes function and affect health. Ever wondered how your environment can shape your genes without changing your DNA code? That’s where DNA methylation comes in—a powerful biological switch that turns genes on or off. But what flips that switch? Everyday factors like diet, pollution…