A story by science
reporter Nicholas Wade that highlights
the basic fundamentals of the Epigenetic
field and how it contributes to
recognized biological phenomenon such as
differences in twins, which are
genetically identical, based on a study
published in PNAS:
“… identical twins, as
they grow older, differ increasingly in
what is known as their epigenome. The
term refers to natural chemical
modifications that occur in a person's
genome shortly after conception and that
act on a gene like a gas pedal or a
brake, marking it for higher or lower
activity.”
‘…."We think that
epigenetic changes are very common in
cancer," said Dr. Peter A. Jones, the
president of the American Association
for Cancer Research and a professor at
the University of Southern California.”
New York Times: Now: The Rest of the
Genome
November 10, 2008
Science writer Carl
Zimmer examines how scientists are
utilizing information gleaned from
the deciphering of the genome and
next scientific pursuits, including
a discussion of the epigenome as a
major field of ongoing and future
research:
“Scientists know much
less about this “epigenome” than the
genome…Some studies now suggest that
when epigenetic marks are disturbed,
cells may also be made more
vulnerable to cancer, because
essential genes are shut off and
genes that should be shut off are
turned on.”
