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BioEssays 6∕2015
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.201670061
Subject(s) - grandparent , citation , disease , epigenetics , non coding rna , vulnerability (computing) , microrna , biology , genetics , psychology , computer science , medicine , world wide web , gene , developmental psychology , computer security , pathology
Ancestral experiences influence lifetime health trajectories . On pages 602–611 of this issue, Metz et al. discuss intriguing evidence suggesting that experiences in parents, grandparents and even great‐grandparents may influence our wellbeing and vulnerability to disease. Key pathways of intergenerational inheritance involve epigenetic mechanisms, such as the expression of small non‐coding RNA molecules, including microRNAs. MicroRNAs may therefore serve as useful predictive biomarkers of disease or represent therapeutic targets. To take advantage of the epigenetic biomarker potential, big data mining is a necessary strategy for effective disease prediction and prevention. Cover design: Amanda McRoberts and David Olson.