TY - JOUR
T1 - Epigenetics and Assisted Reproductive Technology
T2 - A Call for Investigation
AU - Niemitz, Emily L.
AU - Feinberg, Andrew P.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R37 CA54358 (to A.P.F.). We thank Roger Gosden and Mike DeBaun, for helpful conversations and critical reading of the manuscript, and Kathy Hudson, for helpful discussions.
PY - 2004/4
Y1 - 2004/4
N2 - A surprising set of recent observations suggests a link between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and epigenetic errors-that is, errors involving information other than DNA sequence that is heritable during cell division. An apparent association with ART was found in registries of children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and retinoblastoma. Here, we review the epidemiology and molecular biology behind these studies and those of relevant model systems, and we highlight the need for investigation of two major questions: (1) large-scale case-control studies of ART outcomes, including long-term assessment of the incidence of birth defects and cancer, and (2) investigation of the relationship between epigenetic errors in both offspring and parents, the specific methods of ART used, and the underlying infertility diagnoses. In addition, the components of proprietary commercial media used in ART procedures must be fully and publicly disclosed, so that factors such as methionine content can be assessed, given the relationship in animal studies between methionine exposure and epigenetic changes.
AB - A surprising set of recent observations suggests a link between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and epigenetic errors-that is, errors involving information other than DNA sequence that is heritable during cell division. An apparent association with ART was found in registries of children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and retinoblastoma. Here, we review the epidemiology and molecular biology behind these studies and those of relevant model systems, and we highlight the need for investigation of two major questions: (1) large-scale case-control studies of ART outcomes, including long-term assessment of the incidence of birth defects and cancer, and (2) investigation of the relationship between epigenetic errors in both offspring and parents, the specific methods of ART used, and the underlying infertility diagnoses. In addition, the components of proprietary commercial media used in ART procedures must be fully and publicly disclosed, so that factors such as methionine content can be assessed, given the relationship in animal studies between methionine exposure and epigenetic changes.
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U2 - 10.1086/382897
DO - 10.1086/382897
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14991528
AN - SCOPUS:1842435262
SN - 0002-9297
VL - 74
SP - 599
EP - 609
JO - American journal of human genetics
JF - American journal of human genetics
IS - 4
ER -