The results of a study headed by researchers at Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, indicate that the gut microbiome and epigenetics are intertwined, and that both contribute to neurodevelopment. The researchers showed that epigenetic changes present at birth can impact how an infant’s gut microbiome develops during their first year. They also identified specific epigenetic changes and gut microbes that were associated with signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when the children were three years old. “Certain bacteria seem to offer protection, which is exciting because it suggests there could be ways to support a child’s development through diet or probiotics in the future,” said research lead and gastroenterologist Francis Ka Leung Chan, MD. Chan is co-senior author of the team’s published paper in Cell Press Blue, titled “Epigenome-microbiome interplay in early life associates with infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes,” in which they stated, “We showed that epigenetic alterations at birth were associated with early-life microbiome development and that they determine the risks of neurodevelopmental consequences in children.” The first years of life are critical for brain development and immune system maturation. Though previous studies have shown that both early epigenetic changes and gut microbiome development can impact health in later life, little is known about how these two systems interact. “Recent data suggest that epigenetic programming of gene expression profiles is sensitive to the early-life environment and can impact health outcomes in children,” the authors wrote. “One environmental cue known to trigger host epigenetic…
