Epigenetics is the discipline that studies changes in the genome produced by environmental and hereditary factors, thanks to it we know that certain life experiences alter our genetic code, the molecular footprint of stress is one of the factors that are currently being studied, this is because it changes the information that predisposes people to certain diseases.
Stress is a sense of physical and mental tension that can be very harmful to health, although it has a fundamental adaptive role because it puts the body on alert, when we are stressed increase the levels of adrenaline and cortisol, causing an overexposure that alters the response of the immune system, digestive system and other growth processes.
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- Researchers around the world are studying whether these changes are part of genetic information in any way and whether they can be inherited.
To study the molecular footprint of stress, a team from Tufts University School of Medicine (EMUT) studied what happened in a line of succession during a generation, what researchers found was that children and grandchildren had symptoms related to stress experienced by their predecessors. .
Researchers also studied the effect of post-traumatic stress, particularly in pregnant women and their children, in this regard, found that any violence experienced during pregnancy leads to different genomic activity in babies’ DNA, known as methylation and consists of the genome’s response to the environment by activating or disabling certain genes.
This process is an evolutionary mechanism that facilitates adaptation to the environment, so the genetic information of the successor can be interpreted as changing as an adaptive response, which can lead to more fearful or aggressive children.
It is a fact that genes and the environment interact bidirectionally. Thus, a genetic factor can protect against environmental adversities, while an environmental factor can affect a genetic characteristic, predisposing to the disease.
As mentioned above, research has shown that stress can disrupt the functioning of the genome and even be passed down from generation to generation. Aspects that stress can affect throughout the genome include longevity and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A study by Indiana University School of Medicine and the Scripps Research Institute has identified several genes that can alter stress response and mood effects.
In other words, this study found that people with severe stress or mood disorders had a change in anK3 gene expression levels, related to premature aging and reduced longevity.
Another study, led by Duke University, examined the interaction of genes with the environment in relation to cardiovascular disease; in this work, researchers identified a genetic variant that increases patients’ susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, as well as diabetes and obesity.
Interestingly, stress is related to this ailment, but furthermore, according to this study, this predisposition may be genetic, specifically those with specific polymorphisms in the EBF1 gene have a higher risk, in fact, this gene plays a fundamental role in the development of the immune system.
In short, the molecular imronta of stress can not only determine the risk of developing a disease in the future, but it is also communicable and can influence the susceptibility of our offspring, so to mitigate its short-term effects, it is important to know and internalize the tools that help manage stress.