Early epigenetic changes shape infant gut microbiome development

Early epigenetic changes shape infant gut microbiome development

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.

Epigenetic changes at birth are associated with an infant's microbiome and neurodevelopment

The gut microbiome and epigenetics—molecular switches that turn genes on or off—are intertwined, and both contribute to neurodevelopment, finds a study published in Cell Press Blue. The researchers showed that epigenetic changes present at birth can impact how an infant's gut microbiome develops during their first year.

Epigenetics at Birth Links Microbiome to Neurodevelopment, Potentially ASD and ADHD

The results of a study headed by researchers at Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, indicate that the gut microbiome and epigenetics are intertwined, and that both contribute to neurodevelopment. The researchers showed that epigenetic changes present at birth can impact how an infant’s gut microbiome develops during their first year. They also identified specific epigenetic changes and gut microbes that…