The establishment of DOHaD working groups in Australia and New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 433-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Prescott ◽  
K. Allen ◽  
K. Armstrong ◽  
C. Collins ◽  
H. Dickinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Effect Change ◽  
Cohort Group ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Working Groups ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Translational Strategies ◽  
The Impact

The evidence underpinning the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) is overwhelming. As the emphasis shifts more towards interventions and the translational strategies for disease prevention, it is important to capitalize on collaboration and knowledge sharing to maximize opportunities for discovery and replication. DOHaD meetings are facilitating this interaction. However, strategies to perpetuate focussed discussions and collaborations around and between conferences are more likely to facilitate the development of DOHaD research. For this reason, the DOHaD Society of Australia and New Zealand (DOHaD ANZ) has initiated themed Working Groups, which convened at the 2014–2015 conferences. This report introduces the DOHaD ANZ Working Groups and summarizes their plans and activities. One of the first Working Groups to form was the ActEarly birth cohort group, which is moving towards more translational goals. Reflecting growing emphasis on the impact of early life biodiversity – even before birth – we also have a Working Group titled Infection, inflammation and the microbiome. We have several Working Groups exploring other major non-cancerous disease outcomes over the lifespan, including Brain, behaviour and development and Obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic health. The Epigenetics and Animal Models Working Groups cut across all these areas and seeks to ensure interaction between researchers. Finally, we have a group focussed on ‘Translation, policy and communication’ which focusses on how we can best take the evidence we produce into the community to effect change. By coordinating and perpetuating DOHaD discussions in this way we aim to enhance DOHaD research in our region.

The Microbiota and Malnutrition: Impact of Nutritional Status During Early Life

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 267-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Gómez-Gallego ◽  
Izaskun García-Mantrana ◽  
Cecilia Martínez-Costa ◽  
Seppo Salminen ◽  
Erika Isolauri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Complex Interaction ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Risk Of Disease ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
The Impact

According to the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis, our health is determined by events experienced in utero and during early infancy. Indeed, both our prenatal and postnatal nutrition conditions have an impact on the initial architecture and activity of our microbiota. Recent evidence has underlined the importance of the composition of the early gut microbiota in relation to malnutrition, whether it be undernutrition or overnutrition, that is, in terms of both stunted and overweight development. It remains unclear how early microbial contact is linked to the risk of disease, as well as whether alterations in the microbiome underlie the pathogenesis of malnutrition or are merely the end result of it, which indicates that thequestion of causality must urgently be answered. This review provides information on the complex interaction between the microbiota and nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life, taking into account the impact of both undernutrition and overnutrition on the microbiota and on infants’ health outcomes in the short- and long-term.

scholarly journals Epigenetic studies in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: pitfalls and key considerations for study design and interpretation

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Yamada ◽  
S. Chong
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Impact

The field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) seeks to understand the relationships between early-life environmental exposures and long-term health and disease. Until recently, the molecular mechanisms underlying these phenomena were poorly understood; however, epigenetics has been proposed to bridge the gap between the environment and phenotype. Epigenetics involves the study of heritable changes in gene expression, which occur without changes to the underlying DNA sequence. Different types of epigenetic modifications include DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications and non-coding RNAs. Increasingly, changes to the epigenome have been associated with early-life exposures in both humans and animal models, offering both an explanation for how the environment may programme long-term health, as well as molecular changes that could be developed as biomarkers of exposure and/or future disease. As such, epigenetic studies in DOHaD hold much promise; however, there are a number of factors which should be considered when designing and interpreting such studies. These include the impact of the genome on the epigenome, the tissue-specificity of epigenetic marks, the stability (or lack thereof) of epigenetic changes over time and the importance of associating epigenetic changes with changes in transcription or translation to demonstrate functional consequences. In this review, we discuss each of these key concepts and provide practical strategies to mitigate some common pitfalls with the aim of providing a useful guide for future epigenetic studies in DOHaD.

scholarly journals Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: Impact of environmental dust exposure in modulating microbiome and its association with non-communicable diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-556
Author(s):  
Delicia Shu-Qin Ooi ◽  
Cheryl Pei-Ting Tan ◽  
Michelle Jia-Yu Tay ◽  
Siong Gim Ong ◽  
Elizabeth Huiwen Tham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Dust Exposure ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
The Impact

AbstractNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) including obesity, diabetes, and allergy are chronic, multi-factorial conditions that are affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Over the last decade, the microbiome has emerged as a possible contributor to the pathogenesis of NCDs. Microbiome profiles were altered in patients with NCDs, and shift in microbial communities was associated with improvement in these health conditions. Since the genetic component of these diseases cannot be altered, the ability to manipulate the microbiome holds great promise for design of novel therapies in the prevention and treatment of NCDs. Together, the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease concept and the microbial hypothesis propose that early life exposure to environmental stimuli will alter the development and composition of the human microbiome, resulting in health consequences. Recent studies indicated that the environment we are exposed to in early life is instrumental in shaping robust immune development, possibly through modulation of the human microbiome (skin, airway, and gut). Despite much research into human microbiome, the origin of their constituent microbiota remains unclear. Dust (also known as particulate matter) is a key determinant of poor air quality in the modern urban environment. It is ubiquitous and serves as a major source and reservoir of microbial communities that modulates the human microbiome, contributing to health and disease. There are evidence that reported significant associations between environmental dust and NCDs. In this review, we will focus on the impact of dust exposure in shaping the human microbiome and its possible contribution to the development of NCDs.

Epigenetics and DOHaD: how translation to predictive testing will require a better public understanding

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Fiona Lynch ◽  
Sharon Lewis ◽  
Ivan Macciocca ◽  
Jeffrey M. Craig
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Predictive Testing ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Needed Information ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Health And Disease

Abstract Epigenetics is likely to play a role in the mediation of the effects of genes and environment in risk for many non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory presents unique opportunities regarding the possibility of early life interventions to alter the epigenetic makeup of an individual, thereby modifying their risk for a variety of NCDs. While it is important to determine how we can lower the risk of these NCDs, it is equally important to understand how the public’s knowledge and opinion of DOHaD and epigenetic concepts may influence their willingness to undertake such interventions for themselves and their children. In this review, we provide an overview of epigenetics, DOHaD, NCDs, and the links between them. We explore the issues surrounding using epigenetics to identify those at increased risk of NCDs, including the concept of predictive testing of children. We also outline what is currently understood about the public’s understanding and opinion of epigenetics, DOHaD, and their relation to NCDs. In doing so, we demonstrate that it is essential that future research explores the public’s awareness and understanding of epigenetics and epigenetic concepts. This will provide much-needed information which will prepare health professionals for the introduction of epigenetic testing into future healthcare.

The developing world of DOHaD

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Biomedical Science ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Early Life Events

Since its debut in a ground-breaking report by Barker and Osmond in 1986, the concept of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) has been further developed in several aspects. Its methodology and conclusions relating to proposed origins and outcomes of early life events have been developing and spreading internationally. Indeed, the DOHaD concept now seems to have influenced many fields of research. This article aims to briefly review why the DOHaD concept is important in biomedical science, how it has developed, is currently developing, and how it should develop in future.

scholarly journals Developmental origins of health and disease: a new approach for the identification of adults who suffered undernutrition in early life

2018 ◽  
Vol Volume 11 ◽  
pp. 543-551
Author(s):  
Haroldo da Silva Ferreira ◽  
Antonio Fernando Silva Xavier Junior ◽  
Monica Lopes Assunção ◽  
Tainá Cardoso Caminha Uchôa ◽  
Abel Barbosa Lira-Neto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Health And Disease

scholarly journals Prenatal Developmental Origins of Future Psychopathology: Mechanisms and Pathways

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 317-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Monk ◽  
Claudia Lugo-Candelas ◽  
Caroline Trumpff
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Distress ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽  
Fetal Origins ◽  
Behavior Development ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

The developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis applied to neurodevelopmental outcomes asserts that the fetal origins of future development are relevant to mental health. There is a third pathway for the familial inheritance of risk for psychiatric illness beyond shared genes and the quality of parental care: the impact of pregnant women's distress—defined broadly to include perceived stress, life events, depression, and anxiety—on fetal and infant brain–behavior development. We discuss epidemiological and observational clinical data demonstrating that maternal distress is associated with children's increased risk for psychopathology: For example, high maternal anxiety is associated with a twofold increase in the risk of probable mental disorder in children. We review several biological systems hypothesized to be mechanisms by which maternal distress affects fetal and child brain and behavior development, as well as the clinical implications of studies of the developmental origins of health and disease that focus on maternal distress. Development and parenting begin before birth.

scholarly journals Maternal nutrition and the developmental origins of osteoporosis in offspring: Potential mechanisms and clinical implications

2018 ◽  
Vol 243 (10) ◽  
pp. 836-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Zheng ◽  
Qianyun Feng ◽  
Sheng Zheng ◽  
Xinhua Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Complex Disease ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Early Prevention ◽  
Environment Exposure ◽  
Prevention Of Osteoporosis ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Osteoporosis, the most frequent metabolic disorder of bone, is a complex disease with a multifactorial origin that is influenced by genes and environments. However, the pathogenesis of osteoporosis has not been fully elucidated. The theory of “Developmental Origins of Health and Disease” indicates that early life environment exposure determines the risks of cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. However, investigations into the effects of maternal nutrition and nutrition exposure during early life on the development of osteoporosis are limited. Recently, emerging evidence has strongly suggested that maternal nutrition has long-term influences on bone metabolism in offspring, and epigenetic modifications maybe the underlying mechanisms of this process. This review aimed to address maternal nutrition and its implications for the developmental origins of osteoporosis in offspring. It is novel in providing a theoretical basis for the early prevention of osteoporosis. Impact statement Our review aimed to address maternal nutrition and its implications for the developmental origins of osteoporosis in offspring, that can novelly provide a theoretical basis for the early prevention of osteoporosis.

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