How the Great Depression shaped people’s DNA.pdf

NEW S 21 N ov em ber 2 022 H ow t h e G re at D ep re ssio n s h ap ed p eo p le ’s D N A Ep ig en etic s s tu dy m ark ers o f a cce le ra te d a g ein g l a te r i n l if e . Freda Kreier nature news article People demand rights for the unemployed during the Great Depression in 1931...

NEW S 21 N ov em ber 2 022 H ow t h e G re at D ep re ssio n s h ap ed p eo p le ’s D N A Ep ig en etic s s tu dy m ark ers o f a cce le ra te d a g ein g l a te r i n l if e . Freda Kreier nature news article People demand rights for the unemployed during the Great Depression in 1931 in front of the US Capitol. Credit: Alamy T he w ors t r e ce ss io n i n US h is to ry s h ap ed h ow w ell p eo p le w ould a g e — b efo re t h ey w ere e ve n b orn . R ese arc h ers h av e f o und t h at t h e c e lls o f p eo p le w ho w ere c o nce iv e d d urin g th e G re at D ep re ss io n, w hic h l a ste d f r o m 1 9 29 t o 1 9 39 a n d , a t i t s h eig h t, s a w a b out 2 5% o f th e US w ork fo rc e u nem plo ye d , s h ow s ig n s o f a cce le ra te d a g ein g. T he s tu d y a u th o rs m easu re d t h ese c h an ges i n t h e c e lls ’ e p ig en o m e — t h e c o lle ctio n o f c h em ic a l m ark e rs a tta ch ed to D N A t h at d ete rm in es w hen , w here a n d b y h ow m uch g en es a re e x p re sse d i n e ach c e ll. A nd t h ey t h in k t h e p atte rn o f m ark e rs t h at t h ey u nco ve re d c o uld b e l i n ke d t o h ig h er r a te s o f b oth c h ro nic i lln ess a n d d eath . 1 ‘I n fla m matio n c lo ck ’ c a n re v e a l b od y’s b io lo gic a l a g e R EL A TED The w ork , p ub li s h ed o n 8 N ove m ber i n t h e P ro ceed in gs o f t h e N atio n al A ca dem y o f Scien ce s , a d ds t o a c a ch e o f s tu d ie s i n d ic a tin g t h at e x p osu re t o h ard sh ip s u ch a s s tr e ss a n d s ta rv atio n d urin g t h e e arli e st s ta g es o f d eve lo p m en t c a n s h ap e h u m an h ealt h f o r d eca d es. T he p eo p le c o uld b e a t o ol f o r S ch m it z, a n e co no m is t a t t h e Un iv e rs it y o f W is c o nsin –Ma dis o n. A lt h o ugh t h e s tu d y i s f a r f r o m t h e ep ig en o m e, th e f a ct t h at t h e s ig n al a p pears i n d ata c o lle cte d f r o m p eo p le i n t h eir s e ve n tie s a n d e ig h tie s i s “ m in d -b lo w in g”, s a y s P atr ic k A lla rd , a n e n vir o nm en ta l e p ig en etic is t a t t h e Un iv e rs it y o f C ali f o rn ia , L o s A ngele s. “It ’s d e E p ig en etic a lt e ra tio ns In t h e e arli e st s ta g es o f d eve lo p m en t, a n e m bry o i s a p ack e t o f p ote n tia l, c o nta in in g gen etic i n str u ctio ns t o b uild t h e m ole cu la r c o m ponen ts o f t h e b od y. O ve r t im e, h ow eve r, c e lls a d d a n d r e m ove c h em ic a l m od i D N A, a n d t h ese s h ap e h ow t h o se c e lls a n d t h eir d esc e n d an ts e x e cu te t h e i n str u ctio ns. T he t a g s a re i n e n vir o nm en t. T he a lt e ra tio ns m ad e d urin g t h is k e y w in d ow c a n l a st a l i f e tim e. I n 2 0 08, re se arc h ers f o und t h at p eo p le c o nce iv e d d urin g a f a m in e i n t h e N eth erla n d s a t t h e e n d o f th e S eco nd W orld W ar h ad d i co m pare d w it h s ib li n gs b orn o uts id e t h is t im e f r a m e. T ho se b orn d urin g t h e f a m in e h ad h ig h er r a te s o f m eta b oli c i lln ess l a te r i n l i f e , le ad in g s c ie n tis ts t o s u sp ect t h at t h eir e x p osu re t o m aln u tr it io n d urin g e arly d eve lo p m en t p erm an en tly s h ap ed h ow t h eir b od ie s p ro ce sse d f o od . 1 Pove rty l in ked t o e p ig en etic c h an ges a n d m en ta l i l ln ess R EL A TED 2 3 Sin ce t h en , a s le w o f a n im al s tu d ie s h av e l i n ke d e arly e x p osu re t o p ollu ta n ts , s tr e ss a n d p oor d ie t t o a w id e v arie ty o f e p ig en etic a lt e ra tio ns t h at c a n s h ap e e ve ry th in g f r o m h air c o lo ur t o b ra in d eve lo p m en t . B ut o nly a h an d fu l o f s tu d ie s h av e s u cce ed ed i n th ese t r e n d s i n h u m an s, s a y s A in ash C hild eb aye va, a b io lo gic a l a n th ro p olo gis t a t t h e Ma x P la n k I n stit u te f o r E vo lu tio nary A nth ro p olo gy i n L e ip zig , G erm an y. T his i s p artly b eca u se s u b je ctin g p eo p le t o h arm fu l e ve n ts s u ch a s f a m in es t o s e e h ow gen e e x p re ss io n i s s h ap ed w ould b e u neth ic a l. I n ste ad , sc ie n tis ts h av e t o l o ok b ack o n m ajo r h is to ric a l e ve n ts t o d ete rm in e w heth er t h o se e ve n ts a l a te r i n l i f e . T he G re at D ep re ss io n a n d i t s a ft e rm ath o s u ch o p portu nit y . B y c o m parin g m ark e rs o f a g ein g i n a ro und 8 0 0 p eo p le w ho w ere b orn t h ro ugh o ut t h e 1 9 30 s, th e t e am o b se rv e d th at t h o se b orn i n US s ta te s h it h ard est b y t h e r e ce ss io n — w here u nem plo ym en t a n d w ag e r e d uctio ns w ere h ig h est — h av e a p atte rn o f m ark e rs t h at m ak e t h eir c e lls l o ok o ld er t h an t h ey s h o uld . T he i m pact w as d im in is h ed i n p eo p le w ho w ere b orn i n s ta te s t h at f a re d b ette r d urin g t h e 1 9 30 s. T he c e lls c o uld h av e a lt e re d t h e e p ig en etic t a g s d urin g e arly c h ild ho od o r l a te r i n l i f e . B ut t h e r e su lt s s u ggest t h at s o m e s o rt o f b io lo gic a l f o und atio n w as l a id b efo re b ir th f o r ch ild re n o f t h e G re at D ep re ss io n t h at a i n l i f e . It ’s n o t c le ar w heth er d ie t, str e ss o r s o m e o th er f a cto r d ro ve t h e a cce le ra te d a g ein g, a n d w it h o ut b ein g a b le t o g o b ack i n t im e a n d t e ase a p art t h o se e d ow n t h e b io lo gic a l m ech an is m s b eh in d t h e s ig n al, C hild eb aye va s a y s. N oneth ele ss , “th ese k in d s o f s tu d ie s a re r e ally i m porta n t b eca u se t h ey h ig h li g h t h ow e arly d eve lo p m en t m atte rs f o r h ealt h a n d d is e ase o utc o m es l a te r i n l i f e ”, s h e s a y s. S cie n ce a n d s o cie ty 4,5 Pove rty s h rin ks b ra in s f r o m b ir th R EL A TED Alt h o ugh b oth h ealt h c a re f o r p re g n an t p eo p le a n d e co no m ic t h eo ry h av e e vo lv e d s in ce th e 1 9 30 s, S ch m it z th in ks t h at s tu d ie s s u ch a s t h is o ne c a n s h ed l i g h t o n s o cie ta l i s s u es to d ay. F o r i n sta n ce , e arli e r t h is y e ar, th e U S S u p re m e C ourt r e vo ke d t h e f e d era l r ig h t t o a n a b ortio n . D eca d es o f r e se arc h h av e s h ow n t h at p eo p le w ho a re d en ie d a b ortio ns a re m ore l i k e ly t o e x p erie n ce w ho c a n a cce ss a b ortio ns. “W hat w e s e e f r o m t h is s tu d y i s t h at s o cio -e co no m ic s tr u ctu ra l i n eq uali t ie s t h at m ak e i t d i Sch m it z s ay s. W it h s o cia l i n eq uali t y o n t h e r is e a ro und t h e w orld , t h e h ig h li g h t h ow p aid p are n ta l l e av e , w elf a re p ay m en ts a n d o th er p oli c ie s a n d p ro gra m mes c a n h elp t o b lu nt h ealt h d is p arit ie s i n t h e f u tu re . “W hat w e e x p erie n ce i n t h o se sa y s. “ I t h in k w e a s a s o cie ty c a n a g re e t h at e x p erie n cin g a r e ce ss io n b efo re y o u’r e e ve n b orn s h o uld n’t a d oi: h ttp s:/ / d oi.o rg /1 0 .1 0 38 /d 415 8 6 -0 22-0 378 9 -z R efe re n ce s 1. S ch m it z, L . L . & Du que, V . P ro c. N atl A ca d. S ci. US A 119 , e 22 0853 0 119 ( 2 0 22) . 2. H eijm an s, B . T . et a l. P ro c. N atl A ca d. S ci. US A 10 5 , 17 0 46 –17 0 49 ( 2 0 08). 3 . To b i, E . W . et a l. N atu re Com mun . 5, 5 59 2 ( 20 14 ). 4 . Do li n oy, D . C . N utr. R ev . 66 , S 7– S11 ( 2 0 08). 5 . Sta n kie w ic z, A . M. et a l. B ra in R es. B ull. 9 8 , 7 6 –9 2 ( 20 13 ). Epigenetics Public health History La te st o n: In h erit a n ce o f p ate rn al D NA d am ag e b y h is to n e-m ed ia te d re p air r e str ic tio n ARTIC LE | 2 1 D EC 2 2 W hic h s in gle -c e ll a n aly sis t o ol i s b est? S cie n tis ts o ffe r a d vic e TEC H N OLO GY F E A TU RE | 13 D EC 2 2 S tr u ctu ra l v a ria n ts d riv e c o n te x t- d ep en d en t o n co gen e activ a tio n i n c a n ce r ARTIC LE | 0 7 D EC 2 2 Nature ( Natur e ) ISSN 1476-4687 (online) ISSN 0028-0836 (print)