Umberto Simeoni | Early life conditioning of health and aging
Early life conditioning of health and aging
Abstract: Converging epidemiological and biological data have taught us that an organism develops on the basis of its genome, but especially thanks to interactions with its environment, to which it is naturally inclined to adapt sustainably. This plasticity of development explains why a genotype can translate into an infinite number of phenotypes. It seems to follow a predictive model. Indeed, signals from the environment during the early stages of life can generate a persistent effect throughout life, while the same stimuli, later, will only have a transient effect.
Thus, during the periconceptional period, pregnancy and early childhood in humans, environmental factors such as nutrition, lifestyles and early exposure to toxic substances and stress can condition or even sustainably program the development and functioning of the main biological systems. Any predicted environmental prediction inadequacy may then pave the way for the development of non-communicable chronic diseases in adulthood, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and/or accelerated aging.
The epigenome, DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs reflect the interactions between genome and environment and are the major support for the temporo-spatial dynamics of development. They therefore constitute a major mechanism for long-term programming, whether normal or suboptimal. At the cellular and molecular levels, an acceleration of cellular senescence induced by early stress, in particular oxidative stress, associated with epigenetic modifications of pathways such as that of sirtuin 1 seems to constitute a common pathway to the different situations of alteration of developmental programming.
They are encountered in most biological systems and species studied. The possibility of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission of epigenetic marks and therefore acquired traits, and the leverage effect of the reproductive cycle are likely to potentiate the impact of developmental programming. The effect on lifestyles, behaviors and their environmental consequences could constitute one of the explanations for the current pandemic nature of chronic diseases such as obesity or diabetes.
A life course, or better a life cycle approach to health and senescence justifies health policies based on early prevention, both at population and individual levels, with the aim of reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases and mental and social problems and improving the quality of life during aging. Current challenges include reprogramming through personalized and preventive approaches based on information, education and psychosocial support, oriented towards early life and young adults likely to have a child project. e-Health and m-Health participative networks offer interesting possibilities in this regard. Epigenetics, for its part, is likely to allow the development of new, early biomarkers of chronic diseases and accelerated aging, based on circulating, non-coding RNA or on DNA methylation, as well as new interventional targets for reprogramming.
Bio: Umberto Simeoni's research focuses on the interactions between child development and the environment. The work carried out with his collaborators contributes to a better understanding of the biologic mechanisms underlying the early life origins of health and disease in the adult.
He has served as professor of pediatrics at Louis Pasteur University & University Hospital of Strasbourg, France, at Aix-Marseille University & AP-HM University Hospital, heading the Parents-children Department, and more recently as professor, chief of the division of pediatrics and DOHaD* research laboratory at Lausanne University Hospital & University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
His clinical interest is in child development, neonatal and perinatal medicine, also perinatal bioethics. Umberto Simeoni is the author of numerous research papers published in referenced journals and invited lectures, internationally.
He served as board member and president of the European Association for Perinatal Medicine, the Francophone Association for Neonatal Research, the French Perinatal Society and the Francophone DOHaD* Society, of which he was a co-founder. He is also the co-founder of Fertil-In, dedicated to reproductive and transgenerational health.
Biotech and Health Extension sponsored by 100 Plus Capital
This seminar is part of Foresight's Longevity Biotech Group Seminar Series. To join future seminars in this program please apply here.
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