• NCDs are the leading cause if
morbidity and mortality (WHO
2017 )
• One Billion people affected by
disabling consequences of
metabolic disorders after 10yrs
• 693 million will be suffering from
diabetes after 13 yrs.
• Obesity up to 1 billion in year 2030
• is the study of how our behaviors and environment
can cause changes that affect the way our genes
work.
• changes are reversible and do not change your
DNA sequence, but they can change how your body
reads a DNA sequence.
DNA methylation works by adding a
chemical group to DNA. Typically, this
group is added to specific places on
the DNA, where it blocks the proteins
that attach to DNA to “read” the gene.
DNA wrapped tightly around histones
cannot be accessed by proteins that
“read” the gene. Some genes are
wrapped around histones and are
turned “off” while some genes are not
wrapped around histones and are
turned “on.”
Global Nutrition Report | Country Nutrition Profiles - Global
Nutrition Report
Global Nutrition Report | Country Nutrition Profiles - Global
Nutrition Report
Overweight & Obesity Statistics | NIDDK (nih.gov)
METABOLIC SYNDROME
A group of risk factors such as
high fasting blood sugar, high
blood pressure, low HDL
cholesterol level are defined
as metabolic syndrome
It also increase the risk for
diabetes and heart diseases
(74) Epigenetics & environment: impact on obesity and
metabolic disorder - Dr Stephen Bradford - YouTube
Early life metabolic programming of health
• The early development is important for later life health
Nutrient exposure
during pregnancy
Epigenetic changes
in specific gens
Turning genes on or
off
Altered obesity and
diabetes risk in later
life
Example: Dutch Hunger Winter Famine (1944-1945)
People whose mothers were pregnant with them during the famine were more likely to develop certain diseases
such as heart disease, schizophrenia, and type 2 diabetes. Around 60 years after the famine, researchers looked
at methylation levels in people whose mothers were pregnant with them during the famine. These people had
increased methylation at some genes and decreased methylation at other genes compared with their siblings
who were not exposed to famine before their birth. These differences in methylation could help explain why these
people had an increased likelihood for certain diseases later in life.
CANCER: Epigenetic and Metabolic
• Dysregulated metabolism is a hallmark of cancer
• Several Metabolic pathways are dysregulated and
reprogrammed to favor tumor development
 Glucose consumption
 Glutamine demand
CANCER: Epigenetic and Metabolic
• Several studies demonstrated that metabolic changes affect the
epigenome to promote more cancerogenic alterations.
• Metabolites play key roles as signaling molecules in the regulation of
epigenetics of normal cell.
• Example:
S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)
Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)
CANCER
For example, having a mutation in the BRCA1 gene that prevents it from working
properly makes you more likely to get breast and other cancers.
Similarly, increased DNA methylation that results in decreased BRCA1 gene
expression raises your risk for breast and other cancers
Example: Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancers have increased methylation at the SEPT9 gene. Some commercial
epigenetic-based tests for colorectal cancer look at DNA methylation levels at
the SEPT9 gene. When used with other diagnostic screening tests, these epigenetic
based tests can help find cancer early.
DRUGS/MEDICATION
As of June 2018, there were nine FDAapproved drugs that act primarily by
targeting epigenetic mechanisms. Although
most of these early drugs were approved for
cancer treatment, an expanding portfolio of
molecules targeting epigenetic factors in
other diseases now is in preclinical and
clinical development
Epigenetics and Reversibility
Not all epigenetic changes are permanent. Some
epigenetic changes can be added or removed in
response to changes in behavior or environment.