Pregnancy is an incredibly special and delicate moment for all parents. In those early stages of development, the environment, both inside and outside the body, can drastically affect fetal health and long term.
A recent study has identified a new area that can be influenced, diagnosed and treated before birth: neuropsychiatric disorders.
The placenta and psychiatric disorders
The key to understanding the genetic risk of neuropsychiatric disorders is in the placenta. The international research team, composed of 28 researchers from all over Europe and the United States, has identified that the placenta plays an important role in neuropsychiatric development.
According to the study published in Nature CommunicationsParticular modifications in the placenta can affect the expression of the genes associated with certain psychiatric disorders. This finding confirms that certain types of genetic risk may appear and identify during the prenatal stage.
Psychiatric disorders most commonly related to the placental environment are schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. However, there is some indication that other neuropsychiatric disorders, such as ADHD and autism, can also be affected.
“These findings reinforce the hypothesis that schizophrenia and other disorders have a neurodevelopmental origin and that the placenta plays a fundamental role in this process,” said Nora Fernández-Jiménez, in a Press release.
Read more: How the ‘first 1,000 days’ could shape the future of your baby
What does the placenta do?
It is well known that all the different types of stressful factors can affect the quality and safety of the first home of a baby. Stress during pregnancy is related to a myriad of health problems, including cardiovascular, metabolic and behavioral problems.
The placenta plays an important role in the creation of the perfect environment for a fetus to develop and prosper. It acts as the main link and the boundary between the father and the child during pregnancy, since the short -term organ controls the transport of nutrients, oxygen, waste and endocrine signals.
Due to this vital work, the placenta plays an important role in the neurological development of the fetus.
DNA modifications
The focus of this study is in the epigenetic modifications that occur within the placenta. Epigenetic modifications are chemical changes in DNA and associated proteins. These changes handle gene activity but do not alter the DNA sequence.
DNA methylation is one of the most common types of modifications studied. In this process, small molecules are added to specific regions of a DNA sequence.
It is important to study this type of modification because it is essential for fetal development, environmental adaptation and predisposition to the disease. It is also very influenced by genetics and can be altered or intensified depending on external factors such as diet, stress and exposure to pollutants.
Upon discovering the connection between the genetic risk of psychiatric disorders and the methylation of DNA in the placenta, researchers have unlocked the possibility of new intervention methods for the prevention and treatment of these disorders.
A new way forward
The impact of having the ability to identify and treat psychiatric disorders in the prenatal stage is amazing.
“If we could identify risk factors in the prenatal stage, we could intervene before the symptoms appear, adjusting the treatments or the design of custom preventive strategies,” said Ariadna Cilleros -portet, a postdoctoral researcher at the Mount Sinai hospital in New York, in a press release.
The discovery represents a crucial advance in the understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders and their biological base. Thanks to this information, researchers expect to open new lines of research for the early detection of these disorders, which will also allow the development of more effective therapies.
Read more: How close we are to make babies with bone marrow?
Article Sources
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As Marketing Coordinator of Discover magazine, Stephanie Edwards interacts with readers in discover social networks and writes digital content. Offline, is a contractual professor in English and cultural studies at Lakehead University, teaching courses above all, professional communication to Taylor Swift, and received her postgraduate degrees in the same department of the McMaster University. You can find more of your scientific writing in laboratory manager and your brief fiction in anthologies and literary magazines throughout the horror genre.
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