The effects of in-uterine environment on infant health other than birth weight

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K11735
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: National Center for Child Health and Development
• Principal Investigator: Kawai Tomoko 国立研究開発法人国立成育医療研究センター, 周産期病態研究部, 室長 (40423404)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 周産期環境 / 栄養 / DNAメチル化 / 臍帯血

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the possibility that maternal nutritional status during the perinatal period may play a role in the future development of disease in the child from an epigenomic perspective. Epigenetics has attracted attention as a mechanism for intracellular memory of environmental influences. Among them, DNA methylation, a chemical modification of nucleic acid that is passed on to daughter cells during cell division, has attracted attention as a molecular mechanism involved in memory. We detected DNA methylation changes associated with maternal factors prior to pregnancy in cord blood from approximately 300 Japanese subjects. This change has been also reported by other research groups, suggesting involvement of effects on the child's future glucose metabolism.

Free Research Field

栄養学　分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果から、次世代の健康に影響を及ぼす可能性のある周産期の因子を同定し、次世代の疾病発症予防に繋げられることが期待される。