The Benefits of Understanding Epigenetics

Epigenetics not a word this emerging field of science will impact our children, grandchildren, and our family’s generations beyond. But knowing that a person’s worst habits or environmental situation can affect future generations actually gives us another valuable tool to put in the medical science kit. Epigenetics is still a very new field of study. But there is a great deal to be excited about.

Among the potentials of understanding epigenetics are:
1. The Way We Treat Disease

A changed epigenome can cause a flaw in a gene that acts like a naturally occurring genetic mutation. So the risk of diseases and disorders is potentially increased when the epigenetics of DNA are adversely affected. The genes beneath the damaged epigenome may be perfectly normal. Yet the damage to the epigenetic material can lead to cancer, autoimmune conditions, and genetic syndromes. Understanding what makes those epigenetic errors happen can help medical science develop technology, methods, and advanced therapies like stem cell therapy.

2. The Way We Treat Addiction

Epigenetics may well solve the riddle as to why some people are more susceptible to addiction than others. We already know there is no single “addiction gene.” The dilemma of addiction is comprised of a variety of inherited and environmental factors. But scientists have now discovered that epigenetic mechanisms have a great influence on addiction and non-addiction. They influence how genes are expressed and how the inclination to an addictive nature can be inherited by the generations to come. That’s why epigenetics is so exciting to researchers specializing in addiction

3. The Way We Treat Trauma

Among the earliest theories related to epigenetics concerns the effects of how traumatic events may change people’s epigenomes. For example, one study indicated that children of Holocaust survivors literally genetically inherited a precise stress response. The children of mothers who were directly, traumatically impacted by the event showed lower levels of cortisol. These low levels opened them up to a heightened vulnerability to PTSD; they may very well open up an entirely new and exciting way to address the effects of deep emotional trauma.

4. The Way We View Stem Cell Therapy     

Contemporary stem cell therapy methods for addressing illnesses, injuries, disorders, and chronic conditions are in use in established regenerative medicine facilities that strictly adhere to FDA guidelines. FDA guidelines-compliant stem cell therapy uses in practice today include those for:

• Arthritis
• Autoimmune Diseases
• Diabetes
• Joint Pain/Injury
• Neuropathy
• Parkinson’s Disease