EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS OF THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE HEALTH OF HUMANS AND THEIR OFFSPRING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/1811-2471.2024.v.i4.15023Keywords:
environmental factors, lifestyle, epigenetic biomarkers, epigenetically determined diseases, heredity, adaptation, evolution, preventive medicineAbstract
SUMMARY. Epigenetics allows us to expand our knowledge about the mechanisms of development of many diseases caused by environmental factors. New studies in the field of epigenetics have established that a number of diseases that were previously considered genetically inherited are actually epigenetic in nature.
Knowledge about epigenetics is important because it provides an understanding of how our lifestyle and environment affect not only our health but also the health and life expectancy of future generations. Epigenetics shows that factors such as nutrition, physical activity, stress, as well as environmental factors, can change the activity of genes, affecting the risk of developing diseases.
The aim – to familiarize medical professionals with the basics of epigenetics, to reveal important epigenetic mechanisms of influence of various factors on human health and their offspring.
Material and Methods. Literature search in scientific publications, including online publications, analysis and interpretation of the results of the data presented in the literature.
Conclusions. New research in the field of epigenetics has significantly changed the understanding of the mechanisms of human disease occurrence under the influence of external factors, including lifestyle, and the possible transmission of these diseases or predisposition to them to subsequent generations as a result of epigenetic changes in their genome. They have shown that external factors can affect gene expression or depression by such mechanisms as DNA methylation/demethylation, RNA interference, changes in chromatin condensation, etc.
Epigenetics in medicine opens up new avenues for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Knowledge of epigenetic changes allows the development of treatment methods that can be more effective and more adapted to each patient. This is a promising direction that has great potential for improving the quality of human life and prolonging it.
At the same time, research in this field faces a number of challenges that require new approaches and technologies to overcome them. The development of epigenetic research opens up unique opportunities for medicine, but requires an ethical approach and long-term studies to fully understand their effects and potential.
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