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Ethical implications of epigenetics research

Nature Reviews Genetics volume 10, page 224 (2009)Cite this article

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Epigenetics research holds great promise for elucidating pathways that affect the progression from environmental exposure to phenotypic expression. It will have significant implications for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of disorders. Although a vast amount of literature has built up in the last two decades on the ethical implications of genomic research and applications, there is no comparable literature on the ethical implications of epigenetics research. Here we discuss four of these ethical issues.

First we consider environmental justice. Epigenetic effects have been associated with exposure to various toxic chemicals, airborne pollutants, pesticides and other harmful substances1,2. Many of these exposures are linked with poverty, discriminatory land use, and substandard living and working conditions5. At the same time, many individuals with these harmful exposures are considered medically vulnerable because of pre-existing health conditions that are frequently complicated by poor clinical management. Both the exposure to environmental hazards and the social, nutritional, medical and psychological stresses of low-income communities can separately and, perhaps even more importantly, cumulatively cause epigenetic changes that place exposed populations at increased risk. Epigenetics therefore provides a new window for understanding and possibly addressing the co-morbidities associated with disparate environmental exposures.

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References

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FURTHER READING

  1. Rothstein, M. A., Cai, Y. & Marchant, G. E. The ghost in our genes: legal and ethical implications of epigenetics. Health Matrix (in the press).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Bioethics, Health Policy and Law, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 501 East Broadway #310, Louisville, 40202, Kentucky, USA

    Mark A. Rothstein

  2. Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, Tempe, 85287, Arizona, USA

    Yu Cai & Gary E. Marchant

Authors
  1. Mark A. Rothstein
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  2. Yu Cai
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  3. Gary E. Marchant
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark A. Rothstein.

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FURTHER INFORMATION

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Rothstein, M., Cai, Y. & Marchant, G. Ethical implications of epigenetics research. Nat Rev Genet 10, 224 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg2562

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