Trans- and inter-generational epigenetic inheritance in allergic diseases

It has become clear that early life (including in utero exposures), is a key window of vulnerability where environmental exposures can alter developmental trajectories and initiate allergic disease development. However, recent evidence suggests that there may be additional windows of vulnerability to environmental exposures in the parental generation before conception, or even in previous generations. There is evidence suggesting that information of prior exposures can be transferred across generations, and experimental animal models suggest that such transmission may be conveyed through epigenetic mechanisms.
Source: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Source Type: research