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Developmental Reprogramming by Environmental Estrogens: How Early Life Exposures Affect Cancer Risk in Adulthood

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Environmental Epigenomics in Health and Disease

Part of the book series: Epigenetics and Human Health ((EHH))

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Abstract

There is an emerging consensus that development is a time of increased susceptibility to the adverse effects of environmental agents. Observations in both humans and experimental animal models have led to the “developmental origins of health and disease” or DOHaD hypothesis, which posits that environmental exposures during development reprogram the epigenome to profoundly impact susceptibility to diseases of adulthood, including cancer. Recent epigenetic data confirm that alterations in both DNA methylation and histone methyl marks are associated with developmental reprogramming and linked to environmental exposures that increase cancer susceptibility. Importantly, reprogramming of the epigenome by environmental exposures during susceptible windows of development can remain dormant until triggered by later-life events such as puberty. The identification of critical epigenetic alterations associated with developmental reprogramming holds the promise for developing biomarkers that can identify individuals at increased cancer risk as a result of early life environmental exposures. Furthermore, because epigenetic changes are reversible, it may be possible in the future to reverse the adverse effects of developmental reprogramming in affected individuals at increased risk of cancer as a result of early life environmental exposures.

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Abbreviations

BPA:

Bisphenol A

DES:

Diethylstilbestrol

DNMT:

DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase

DOHaD:

Developmental origins of health and disease

ER:

Estrogen receptor

HMD:

Histone demethylase

HMT:

Histone methyltransferase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2121 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Cheryl L. Walker

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  1. Cheryl L. Walker
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Correspondence to Cheryl L. Walker .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University Avenue 1400, Madison, 53706, Wisconsin, USA

    Randy L. Jirtle

  2. National Institute of Environmental Hea, NIEHS, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, 27709, North Carolina, USA

    Frederick L. Tyson

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Walker, C.L. (2013). Developmental Reprogramming by Environmental Estrogens: How Early Life Exposures Affect Cancer Risk in Adulthood. In: Jirtle, R., Tyson, F. (eds) Environmental Epigenomics in Health and Disease. Epigenetics and Human Health. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36827-1_12

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