Approaches to evaluate gene-environment interactions underlying the developmental origins of health and disease

Abstract

Research studies have established a clear relationship between antenatal and postnatal environments and the development of adult diseases including the metabolic syndrome (coronary heart disease, stroke, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia), obesity, neurologic disorders and mental illness [1]. These observations have been confirmed in multiple human populations and in numerous animal studies in multiple species. It is clear that the environment of mother, baby and child is a key contributor to diseases and conditions that account for approximately one third of the global burden of disease in both developed and developing countries. Although adverse antenatal and postnatal environments increase the risk of particular adult diseases, not all individuals exposed to these environments develop these conditions, suggesting that an individual’s genotype may contribute to the eventual outcome. Therefore, it has been suggested that gene-environment interactions underlie the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).