title: Developmental Origins of Disease - Crisis Precipitates Change.
abstract: The concept of developmental origins of diseases has gained a huge interest in recent years and is a constantly emerging scientific field. First observations hereof originated from epidemiological studies, linking impaired birth outcomes to adult chronic, noncommunicable disease. By now there is a considerable amount of both epidemiological and experimental evidence highlighting the impact of early life events on later life disease susceptibility. Albeit far from being completely understood, more recent studies managed to elucidate underlying mechanisms, with epigenetics having become almost synonymous with developmental programming. The aim of this review was to give a comprehensive overview of various aspects and mechanisms of developmental origins of diseases. Starting from initial research foci mainly centered on a nutritionally impaired intrauterine environment, more recent findings such as postnatal nutrition, preterm birth, paternal programming and putative interventional approaches are summarized. The review outlines general underlying mechanisms and particularly discusses mechanistic explanations for sexual dimorphism in developmental programming. Furthermore, novel hypotheses are presented emphasizing a non-mendelian impact of parental genes on the offspring's phenotype.
authors: Institute for Nutritional Science, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Reichetzeder
authors: Sulistyo Emantoko
authors: SE
authors: Dwi Putra
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Berthold
authors: B
authors: Hocher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D044343:Overnutrition / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000072740:Paternal Inheritance; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000235:genetics*; D012727:Sex Characteristics