Epigenetics is the study of how genes can be turned on or off without altering the structure itself of the DNA.  A good analogy is to think of a musician playing a piano.  The keys of the piano are like the structure of the DNA – they are fixed.  However many different pieces of music can be played from the same 88 keys depending on the movement of the hands of the musician.  The actual tunes played are the “epigenetic changes” governed by the hands placement of the musician.  Epigenetics is a rapidly expanding and very exciting branch of medicine because it allows us to understand how nurture, or environment, affects the expression of our inherited genetic structure.

The most studied markers which tell the RNA transcribing enzymes when to start and stop are methyl groups.  A methyl group is simply a carbon atom surrounded by three hydrogen ions.  It is the same chemical group that is moved around in the bodies’ methylation cycle.  Mutations of the methylation cycle are linked to many diseases including cancer, heart disease, depression, miscarriage, chronic fatigue and Alzheimer’s.  They can be diagnosed and treated with nutrient supplements, and are discussed more fully in this blog post /2012/07/methylation-mutation-resources/

In the last decade a number of scientific studies have documented how early environmental experiences, such as abuse, neglect or emotional deprivation, can lead to measurable changes in the hippocampus which is the area of the brain that is essential for regulating the response to stress.  The following article is an excellent and relatively easy to follow explanation epigenetics and psychological experiences or “How Grandma’s Experiences Leave Epigenetic Marks on your DNA“.

http://discovermagazine.com/2013/may/13-grandmas-experiences-leave-epigenetic-mark-on-your-genes

For those who might not make it through the whole article an especially interesting paragraph notes that much research is now being devoted to learning how to control our own epigenetic markers.

“If it is true that epigenetic changes to genes active in certain regions of the brain underlie our emotional and intellectual intelligence — our tendency to be calm or fearful, our ability to learn or to forget — then the question arises: Why can’t we just take a drug to rinse away the unwanted methyl groups like a bar of epigenetic Irish Spring?
The hunt is on. Giant pharmaceutical and smaller biotech firms are searching for epigenetic compounds to boost learning and memory. It has been lost on no one that epigenetic medications might succeed in treating depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder where today’s psychiatric drugs have failed“.
The goal of course is to learn to “play” our DNA like a world class musician so that we create exactly the psychological and physical health we desire.  I expect the answer to doing this skillfully will come not from yet another pharmaceutical attempt at a “Magic Pill”  but will rather  depend more on our ability to modulate stress, perhaps through meditation and exercise,  to regulate our methyl production through diet and supplements and to avoid or remove known DNA chemical modifiers such as heavy metals and toxins.  The next 10 years in epigenetic research hold much promise in learning how to truly control our genetic destiny.