Maternal smoking during pregnancy is harmful to the unborn child as well as the mother. This is a known fact. "For the first time, we can now demonstrate that exposure to tobacco smoke also causes epigenetic changes in enhancers of gene expression," said Irina Lehmann, Environmental Immunologist at the UFZ. These deregulated enhancers are distributed throughout the child's entire genome.
Epigenetic changes form part of countless processes that occur
during human development. The genetic material functions as a
blueprint for all cells. In order for different cell types, e.g. liver or
muscle cells, to develop, certain genes must be activated or
deactivated at certain times. One of the ways this happens is
through epigenetic changes which can be disrupted by various
environmental factors. In their latest study, the group of researchers
from Leipzig and Heidelberg revealed that epigenetic changes
related to tobacco smoke increase the risk of children developing
lung diseases.
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