Metz Gerlinde A S, Ng Jane W Y, Kovalchuk Igor, Olson David M
Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Bioessays. 2015 Jun;37(6):602-11. doi: 10.1002/bies.201400217. Epub 2015 Mar 11.
Stress is one of the most powerful experiences to influence health and disease. Through epigenetic mechanisms, stress may generate a footprint that propagates to subsequent generations. Programming by prenatal stress or adverse experience in parents, grandparents, or earlier generations may thus be a critical determinant of lifetime health trajectories. Changes in regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) by stress may enhance the vulnerability to certain pathogenic factors. This review explores the hypothesis that miRNAs represent stress-responsive elements in epigenetic regulation that are potentially heritable. Recent findings suggest that miRNAs are key players linking adverse early environments or ancestral stress with disease risk, thus they represent useful predictive disease biomarkers. Since miRNA signatures of disease are potentially heritable, big data management platforms will be vital to harness multi-generational information and capture succinct yet potent biomarkers capable of directing preventative treatments. This feature would offer a unique window of opportunity to advance personalized medicine.
压力是影响健康和疾病的最强大因素之一。通过表观遗传机制，压力可能会产生一种印记，并传递给后代。因此，产前压力或父母、祖父母或更早几代人的不良经历所导致的编程可能是一生健康轨迹的关键决定因素。压力引起的微小RNA（miRNA）调控变化可能会增加对某些致病因素的易感性。本综述探讨了这样一种假说，即miRNA在表观遗传调控中代表应激反应元件，并且可能具有遗传性。最近的研究结果表明，miRNA是将早期不良环境或祖先压力与疾病风险联系起来的关键因素，因此它们是有用的预测性疾病生物标志物。由于疾病的miRNA特征可能具有遗传性，大数据管理平台对于利用多代信息和获取能够指导预防性治疗的简洁而有效的生物标志物至关重要。这一特性将为推进个性化医疗提供一个独特的机会窗口。
