Genetic hypothesis for the developmental origins of health and disease theory

• Main Author: Xinzhi Zhao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Health 2020-03-01
• Series: Journal of Bio-X Research
• Online Access: http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/JBR.0000000000000056

Abstract. The developmental origins of health and disease theory states that environmental stresses during the early stages of life influence health and risk of developing non-communicable diseases throughout the lifespan of an individual. Developmental plasticity is thought to be a possible underlying mechanism. Here, I discuss a contrasting but complementary genetic hypothesis regarding the developmental origins of health and disease theory: crosstalk between the genomes of the parents and offspring is responsible for shaping and adapting responses to environmental stresses, regulating early growth and predisposition to non-communicable diseases. Genetic variants that are beneficial in terms of responses to early life stresses may have pleiotropic detrimental effects on health later in life, which may change the allele frequencies driven by selection on a population level. Genetic studies on the cohort of children born after assisted reproduction could provide insight regarding the genetic mechanisms of the developmental origins of health and disease theory.