Effects of Cannabis on Sperm
The goals of the Cannabis-Induced Potential Heritability of Epigenetic Revisions in Sperm (CIPHERS) project were to determine if cannabis use in humans and THC exposure in a rat model would lead to alterations in DNA methylation in sperm. With expanding legalization of cannabis and cannabis products, it’s important to understand the biological consequences so that consumers – and prospective consumers – can make informed decisions about use of these products.
Read about our findings from CIPHERS:
- Prenatal delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure is associated with changes in rhesus macaque DNA methylation enriched for autism genes.
- An epigenetic synopsis of parental substance use.
- Sperm DNA methylation alterations from cannabis extract exposure are evident in offspring.
- Cannabis alters DNA methylation at maternally imprinted and autism candidate genes in spermatogenic cells.
- Refraining from use diminishes cannabis-associated epigenetic changes in human sperm.
- Paternal cannabis extract exposure in rats: Preconception timing effects on neurodevelopmental behavior in offspring.
- Sperm DNA methylation altered by THC and nicotine: Vulnerability of neurodevelopmental genes with bivalent chromatin.
- Epigenetic alterations in cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (Por) in sperm of rats exposed to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
- Cannabis use and the sperm epigenome: a budding concern?
- Cannabis use is associated with potentially heritable widespread changes in autism candidate gene DLGAP2 DNA methylation in sperm.
- Paternal THC exposure in rats causes long-lasting neurobehavioral effects in the offspring.
- Cannabinoid exposure and altered DNA methylation in rat and human sperm.
Pregnancy: Vulnerability to the Environment
The Newborn Epigenetics STudy (NEST) is a racially and ethnically diverse pregnancy cohort comprised of over 2,000 mother-infant pairs who were recruited during pregnancy between 2005 and 2011 from obstetrics clinics in Durham, North Carolina. The major objectives of NEST are to improve understanding of how the in utero environment shapes health and developmental outcomes, and the role of epigenetic mechanisms in mediating these effects. Data and biospecimens were collected at enrollment, birth and during childhood, and we are continuing to follow NEST participants as they enter early adulthood.
Read about findings from NEST:
- An epigenome-wide association study of child appetitive traits and DNA methylation.
- Maternal Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Its Associations with Maternal Prenatal Stressors and Child Growth.
- Clomifene and Assisted Reproductive Technology in Humans Are Associated with Sex-Specific Offspring Epigenetic Alterations in Imprinted Control Regions.
- Tobacco Retail Outlets, Neighborhood Deprivation and the Risk of Prenatal Smoke Exposure.
- Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies in newborns and children show widespread sex differences in blood DNA methylation.
- Validation of differential DNA methylation in newborns exposed to tobacco smoke during gestation using bisulfite pyrosequencing.
- Informing women about the risks of exposing babies to tobacco smoke: outreach and education efforts using Facebook “boost posts”.
- Maternal tobacco smoke exposure is associated with increased DNA methylation at human metastable epialleles in infant cord blood.
- Sex-specific DNA methylation and associations with in utero tobacco smoke exposure at nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes.
- Alterations in DNA methylation associate with fatty liver and metabolic abnormalities in a multi-ethnic cohort of pre-teenage children.
- Neighborhood Deprivation is Associated with Increased Risk of Prenatal Smoke Exposure.
- Periconceptional Maternal Diet Characterized by High Glycemic Loading Is Associated with Offspring Behavior in NEST.
- Smoke-Free Home Rules and Association with Child Secondhand Smoke Exposure among Mother-Child Dyad Relationships.
- DNA Methylation in Babies Born to Nonsmoking Mothers Exposed to Secondhand Smoke during Pregnancy: An Epigenome-Wide Association Study.
- Associations between maternal obesity, gestational cytokine levels and child obesity in the NEST cohort.
- Identifying the Best Questions for Rapid Screening of Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Children.
- DNA methylation and body mass index from birth to adolescence: meta-analyses of epigenome-wide association studies.
- Association between DNA methylation and ADHD symptoms from birth to school age: a prospective meta-analysis.
- Replicated umbilical cord blood DNA methylation loci associated with gestational age at birth.
- Associations between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and eating behaviors in early childhood.
- Comparison of smoking-related DNA methylation between newborns from prenatal exposure and adults from personal smoking.
- Cadmium exposure and MEG3 methylation differences between Whites and African Americans in the NEST Cohort.
- Snacking frequency and dietary intake in toddlers and preschool children.
- Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies in neonates reveals widespread differential DNA methylation associated with birthweight.
- Pre-Pregnancy Weight and Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Executive Functioning Behaviors in Preschool Children.
- Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity, offspring cord blood DNA methylation, and offspring cardiometabolic health in early childhood: an epigenome-wide association study.
- Effect of Prenatal Smoke Exposure on Birth Weight: The Moderating Role of Maternal Depressive Symptoms.
- Epigenome-wide meta-analysis of DNA methylation and childhood asthma.
- Elevated metabolites of acetaminophen in cord blood of children with obesity.
- Periconceptional Maternal Mediterranean Diet Is Associated With Favorable Offspring Behaviors and Altered CpG Methylation of Imprinted Genes.
- Associations between imprinted gene differentially methylated regions, appetitive traits and body mass index in children.
- DNA methylation of imprinted genes at birth is associated with child weight status at birth, 1 year, and 3 years.
- Associations between maternal cytokine levels during gestation and measures of child cognitive abilities and executive functioning.
- Low maternal adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with increase in methylation at the MEG3-IG differentially methylated region in female infants.
- Impact of Smoking Ban on Passive Smoke Exposure in Pregnant Non-Smokers in the Southeastern United States.
- Cohort Profile: Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium.
- Maternal BMI at the start of pregnancy and offspring epigenome-wide DNA methylation: findings from the pregnancy and childhood epigenetics (PACE) consortium.
- Maternal inflammatory diet and adverse pregnancy outcomes: Circulating cytokines and genomic imprinting as potential regulators?
- Maternal vitamin D, DNA methylation at imprint regulatory regions and offspring weight at birth, 1 year and 3 years.
- Maternal blood cadmium, lead and arsenic levels, nutrient combinations, and offspring birthweight.
- Temporal Trends in Exposure to Organophosphate Flame Retardants in the United States.
- Maternal blood lead concentrations, DNA methylation of MEG3 DMR regulating the DLK1/MEG3 imprinted domain and early growth in a multiethnic cohort.
- DNA Methylation of Regulatory Regions of Imprinted Genes at Birth and Its Relation to Infant Temperament.
- Association between Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain with Size, Tempo, and Velocity of Infant Growth: Analysis of the Newborn Epigenetic Study Cohort.
- Neighborhood and Family Environment of Expectant Mothers May Influence Prenatal Programming of Adult Cancer Risk: Discussion and an Illustrative DNA Methylation Example.
- DNA Methylation in Newborns and Maternal Smoking in Pregnancy: Genome-wide Consortium Meta-analysis.
- Maternal B vitamins: effects on offspring weight and DNA methylation at genomically imprinted domains.
- Geographic clustering of elevated blood heavy metal levels in pregnant women.
- Genotype-Epigenotype Interaction at the IGF2 DMR.
- Lead Exposure during Early Human Development and DNA Methylation of Imprinted Gene Regulatory Elements in Adulthood.
- Associations between prenatal physical activity, birth weight, and DNA methylation at genomically imprinted domains in a multiethnic newborn cohort.
- Maternal stress, preterm birth, and DNA methylation at imprint regulatory sequences in humans.
- Investigating Epigenetic Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Toxic Metals in Newborns: Challenges and Benefits.
- Erythrocyte folate concentrations, CpG methylation at genomically imprinted domains, and birth weight in a multiethnic newborn cohort.
- Newborns of obese parents have altered DNA methylation patterns at imprinted genes.
- Maternal BMI, IGF-I Levels, and Birth Weight in African American and White Infants.
- Associations between antibiotic exposure during pregnancy, birth weight and aberrant methylation at imprinted genes among offspring.
- Paternal obesity is associated with IGF2 hypomethylation in newborns: results from a Newborn Epigenetics Study (NEST) cohort.
- Associations between birth and one year anthropometric measurements and IGF2 and IGF2R genetic variants in African American and Caucasian American infants.
- 450K epigenome-wide scan identifies differential DNA methylation in newborns related to maternal smoking during pregnancy.
- Differentially methylated regions of imprinted genes in prenatal, perinatal and postnatal human tissues.
- Depression in pregnancy, infant birth weight and DNA methylation of imprint regulatory elements.
- Association of cord blood methylation fractions at imprinted insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), plasma IGF2, and birth weight.
- Insulin-like growth factor 2/H19 methylation at birth and risk of overweight and obesity in children.
- Gender-specific methylation differences in relation to prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke.
- Methylation variation at IGF2 differentially methylated regions and maternal folic acid use before and during pregnancy.
- Folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy in the Newborn Epigenetics STudy (NEST).
- The effects of depression and use of antidepressive medicines during pregnancy on the methylation status of the IGF2 imprinted control regions in the offspring.
Epigenetics and Gynecologic Malignancies
- Association between PEG3 DNA methylation and high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
- Epigenetic Regulation of Claudin-1 in the Development of Ovarian Cancer Recurrence and Drug Resistance.
- Targeting Dormant Ovarian Cancer Cells In Vitro and in an In Vivo Mouse Model of Platinum Resistance.
- A TAZ-ANGPTL4-NOX2 Axis Regulates Ferroptotic Cell Death and Chemoresistance in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
- Acquisition of a side population fraction augments malignant phenotype in ovarian cancer.
- DNA methylation of imprinted gene control regions in the regression of low-grade cervical lesions.
- Disparities in Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Can Epigenetics Contribute to Eliminating Disparities?
- Suppression of ABHD2, identified through a functional genomics screen, causes anoikis resistance, chemoresistance and poor prognosis in ovarian cancer.
- Establishment of a Novel Histopathological Classification of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma Correlated with Prognostically Distinct Gene Expression Subtypes.
- Epigenetic Regulation of GDF2 Suppresses Anoikis in Ovarian and Breast Epithelia.
- Chemotherapy Induces Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Overexpression via the Nuclear Factor-κB to Foster an Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in Ovarian Cancer.
- ACLY and ACC1 Regulate Hypoxia-Induced Apoptosis by Modulating ETV4 via α-ketoglutarate.
- Mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase Has a Protumorigenic Role in Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma.
- Genotype-Epigenotype Interaction at the IGF2 DMR.
- Ascites Increases Expression/Function of Multidrug Resistance Proteins in Ovarian Cancer Cells.
- IL-10, IL-15, IL-17, and GMCSF levels in cervical cancer tissue of Tanzanian women infected with HPV16/18 vs. non-HPV16/18 genotypes.
- The BMP signaling pathway leads to enhanced proliferation in serous ovarian cancer-A potential therapeutic target.
- Epigenetic and genetic dispositions of ovarian carcinomas.
- Invasion of uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma cells is facilitated by locoregional interaction with cancer-associated fibroblasts via activating transforming growth factor-beta.
- STAT1 drives tumor progression in serous papillary endometrial cancer.
- Differential Angiogenic Gene Expression in TP53 Wild-Type and Mutant Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines.
- HPV genotypes and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in a multiethnic cohort in the southeastern USA.
- Dasatinib (BMS-35482) interacts synergistically with docetaxel, gemcitabine, topotecan, and doxorubicin in ovarian cancer cells with high SRC pathway activation and protein expression.
- Epigenetic determinants of ovarian clear cell carcinoma biology.
- TP53 Status is Associated with Thrombospondin1 Expression In vitro.
- Hepatocyte nuclear factor-1β (HNF-1β) promotes glucose uptake and glycolytic activity in ovarian clear cell carcinoma.
- PEG1/MEST and IGF2 DNA methylation in CIN and in cervical cancer.
- Increased Intragenic IGF2 Methylation is Associated with Repression of Insulator Activity and Elevated Expression in Serous Ovarian Carcinoma.
- Utilization of genomic signatures to identify high-efficacy candidate drugs for chemorefractory endometrial cancers.
- Associations between methylation of paternally expressed gene 3 (PEG3), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancer.
- Validation of ovarian cancer gene expression signatures for survival and subtype in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues.
- DNA profiling analysis of endometrial and ovarian cell lines reveals misidentification, redundancy and contamination.
- Targeting the epigenome in ovarian cancer.
- Distribution of HPV genotypes in cervical intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer in Tanzanian women.
- Quantitative detection of RASSF1A DNA promoter methylation in tumors and serum of patients with serous epithelial ovarian cancer.
- The regulation of MASPIN expression in epithelial ovarian cancer: association with p53 status, and MASPIN promoter methylation: a gynecologic oncology group study.
- The activated transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway in peritoneal metastases is a potential therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.
- GPR54 is a target for suppression of metastasis in endometrial cancer.
- Dasatinib (BMS-35482) has synergistic activity with paclitaxel and carboplatin in ovarian cancer cells.
- Epigenetic suppression of the TGF-beta pathway revealed by transcriptome profiling in ovarian cancer.
- Sorafenib efficacy in ovarian clear cell carcinoma revealed by transcriptome profiling.
- Expression signatures of TP53 mutations in serous ovarian cancers.
- Targeting ovarian cancer-initiating cells.
- Identification of an ovarian clear cell carcinoma gene signature that reflects inherent disease biology and the carcinogenic processes.
- High poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase expression and poor survival in advanced-stage serous ovarian cancer.
- Ovarian cancer tumor infiltrating T-regulatory (T(reg)) cells are associated with a metastatic phenotype.
- Targeting slow-proliferating ovarian cancer cells.
- Elevated MAL expression is accompanied by promoter hypomethylation and platinum resistance in epithelial ovarian cancer.
- MLH1 expression sensitises ovarian cancer cells to cell death mediated by XIAP inhibition.
- Microarray analysis of early stage serous ovarian cancers shows profiles predictive of favorable outcome.
- Yin yang 1 modulates taxane response in epithelial ovarian cancer.
- Epigenetic regulation of CD133 and tumorigenicity of CD133+ ovarian cancer cells.
- Trophinin is a potent prognostic marker of ovarian cancer involved in platinum sensitivity.
- Loss of betaglycan expression in ovarian cancer: role in motility and invasion.
- Cancer susceptibility: epigenetic manifestation of environmental exposures.
- Trinucleotide repeat polymorphisms in the androgen receptor gene and risk of ovarian cancer.
- Global expression analysis of cancer/testis genes in uterine cancers reveals a high incidence of BORIS expression.
- Regulation of the metastasis suppressor gene MKK4 in ovarian cancer.
- Genomic sweeping for hypermethylated genes.
- Frequent IGF2/H19 domain epigenetic alterations and elevated IGF2 expression in epithelial ovarian cancer.
- High throughput detection of M6P/IGF2R intronic hypermethylation and LOH in ovarian cancer.
- Patterns of gene expression that characterize long-term survival in advanced stage serous ovarian cancers.
- Transforming growth factor beta receptor I polyalanine repeat polymorphism does not increase ovarian cancer risk.
