- Membership & Community
-
Publications & News
- Journals
-
Newsroom
-
The Physiologist Magazine
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- In Depth
-
Mentoring Forum
- Net Worth
- Take Care
- You … In Charge
- Work. It. Out.
- Working Off-site
- Location, Location, Location?
- Student Support
- Progressing to Postdoc
- Relationship Building
- Let’s Get It Started
- What Do We Value?
- It’s a Postdoc Life
- Coronavirus Contributions
- Creative Communications
- Selection Process
- Conference Connections
- Postdoc Appreciation
- Research Rewards
- Focus on Teaching
- Industry Insights
- Balance Beam
- Post Postdoc
- If You Build It
- Talk It Through
- Forward Bound
- I’ve Earned My PhD. Now What?
- University Life
- Tips for Trainees
- Time Travel
- Prepare Now for the Career You Want
- Policy IQ
- Publish with Polish
- Under the Microscope
- Mentoring Q&A
- The Physiologist Magazine Readers Survey
- Evolution
- Baseline by Scott Steen, CAE, FASAE
- Find Us on Social Media
-
The Physiologist Magazine
-
Professional Development
-
Meetings & Events
-
American Physiology Summit
- #APS2024 Overview
- Abstracts
- Awards at the Summit
- Award Lectures
- Career Networking Lunch Form
- Dates and Deadlines
- Hotel Information
- Industry Partners
- Keynote Speaker—Brian Kobilka, MD
- Keynote Speaker—Jessica Meir, PhD
- Mobile App
- NIH and NSF Program Officer Panel Discussion Form
- Off-site Summit Meetups
- Physical Poster Information
- PhysioHub
- Pre-Summit Events
- Registration
- Section & Group Banquet Tickets
- Speaker Audiovisual Instructions
- Summit FAQs
- Summit Newsroom
- Summit Store
- Travel & Transportation
- Undergraduate Program Book
- Liability Waiver
- Summit Call for Proposals
- Industry Partners
- Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award Orientation Agenda
- Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award Networking Luncheon Agenda
- Women in Physiology Networking Event Agenda
-
2023
- APS 2023 Call for Proposals
- Shocklogic Test
- Team 2023 Task Force
- Shaping the Summit
- Schedule at a Glance
- Pre-Summit Events
- Pre-Summit Center for Physiology Education Workshop Registration
- Section & Groups Banquet Tickets
- Summit Store
- Pre-Summit Center for Physiology Education Workshop
- Press Registration
- Meet the Organizers
- Keynote Speaker—Terrie Williams, PhD
- Keynote Speaker—David Julius, PhD
- Industry Workshop Information
- Important Dates and Deadlines
- Hotel Information
- Game Changers
- Distinguished Lecturers
- Building APS 2023
- Awards at the Summit
- 2023 Summit Information
- American Physiology Summit Program
- 2023 Summit Newsroom
- 2024
- Scientific Integrity Policy
- Integrative Physiology of Exercise Conference
- From Concept to Classroom
- Webinars
- Related Meetings
- Future APS Conferences
-
Past APS Conferences
- APS Institute on Teaching and Learning
- Integrative Physiology of Exercise
- Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin (ET-17)
- New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine
- APS Institute on Teaching and Learning (2022)
- Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease Conference
- Comparative Physiology: From Organisms to Omics in an Uncertain World
- Conference Policies
-
American Physiology Summit
- Awards
-
Career & Professional Development
-
Career Gateway
-
Resources
- Transcript—Leading Through Conflict and Difficult Conversations
- Transcript—Managing Conflict with Colleagues
- Transcript—Leading a Team Through Conflict
- Transcript—Providing Difficult Feedback
- Transcript—Team Dynamics and Culture Primer
- Transcript—Building a Team
- Transcript—Leading a Team Assigned to You
- Transcript—Creating a Team Culture
-
Resources
- Career Navigator
- Center for Physiology Education
- Job Board
- Mentoring
- APS Graduate Physiology & Biomedical Science Catalog
-
Career Gateway
-
Meetings & Events
-
Advocacy & Resources
- Policy Areas
-
Resources
- Researcher Resources
- Educator Resources
- Trainee Resources
- Student Resources
-
APS Graduate Physiology & Biomedical Science Catalog
- Augusta University
- Des Moines University
- East Tennessee State University
- George Washington University
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences—Biomedical Engineering & Physiology
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Michigan State University
- New York Medical College
- Nova Southeastern University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Saint Louis University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas A&M University Medical Physiology
- Stony Brook University
- The University of Iowa
- The University of Mississippi Medical Center
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University at Buffalo
- University of Colorado
- University of Delaware
- University of Florida
- University of Louisville
- University of Michigan
- University of Minnesota
- University of Missouri-Biomedical Sciences
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
- University of Oregon
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)
- University of Texas Health Science Center
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Wayne State University
- Wake Forest University
- Physiology Department Catalog Submission Form
- Career Gateway
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Advocacy
- About APS
Rockville, Md. (March 14, 2024)—Researchers identified several differences in DNA methylation in people who experienced preeclampsia during pregnancy, according to a new study from Oregon Health & Science University. The study also revealed these differences appear to occur in connection to genes relevant to the disease. The study is published in the Physiological Genomics. It has been chosen as an APSselect article for March.
DNA methylation is a chemical modification of the DNA in which methyl groups (a combination of atoms) are added to the DNA molecule. Methylation can change the activity of a gene without changing its sequence, basically acting as a “light switch.” If you think of genes as light bulbs, DNA methylation is the on/off switch. When and where in the body this switch is turned on/off will impact development, aging and occurrence of diseases.
Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that affects approximately 2%–5% of all pregnancies. The disease contributes to four of the top 10 causes of pregnancy-related deaths and remains a long-term risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases. Yet, little is still known about the molecular mechanisms that lead to preeclampsia.
The study’s purpose was to determine to what degree pregnant people with preeclampsia showed differences in the makeup of inherited genes compared to those with normal pregnancies. Researchers analyzed global DNA methylation among three groups:
- Individuals who experienced early-stage preeclampsia (less than 32 weeks).
- Those with late-stage preeclampsia (greater than 37 weeks).
- Those with no complications during their pregnancies.
The researchers also studied DNA from the children born from these three groups. They found significant differences in regions near or within genes that are important for placentation, embryonic development, cell adhesion and inflammation between women who experienced preeclampsia compared to those with no complications.
“People who have had preeclampsia have greater risks for cardiovascular disease after the pregnancy, and their offspring are more likely to have cardiovascular conditions and die of stroke,” said Kent L. Thornburg, PhD, a professor emeritus and one of the study’s authors. “If we can identify DNA methylation patterns in genes associated with the disease, we will have much clearer strategies to prevent the disease. Moreover, we might be able to develop biomarkers that can help preventative intervention. Our next step is to determine which of these genes were altered before pregnancy and which are the result of the disease itself.”
Read the full article, “High-throughput methylome analysis reveals differential methylation for early and late onset preeclampsia for mothers and their children.” It is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program. Read all of this month’s selected research articles.
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in our Newsroom.
Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.
Related Content
- Gymnasts’ Injury Risk Increases on Stiffer Competition Floors
- American Physiological Society to Host Neurophysiology Webinar Series with Prestigious Neuroscience Partners
- Study Reveals the Healing Power of Food after a Traumatic Brain Injury
- Childhood Trauma Linked to Reduced Vascular Function and Diminished Sleep Quality
- Mitochondrial Changes Linked to High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- Cannabis Extract Causes Blood Pressure Drop in Healthy Mice
- Nose Breathing Lowers Blood Pressure, May Help Reduce Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Contact Us
For questions, comments or to share your story ideas, email us or call 301.634.7314.