A new article published by Knuth et al. suggests liver disease may originate during early development due to vitamin D deficiency. The study utilized a mouse model of developmental vitamin D deficiency (DVD) and found that DVD alters the adult liver’s genetic expression, downregulating key genes involved in liver development, injury response, cholesterol biosynthesis, and energy production. Additionally, DVD led to significant DNA methylation changes, varying based on the parental origin of the genome.
Importantly, the study highlighted that these disruptions in liver function were not reversible by later vitamin D supplementation, emphasizing the need for preventative measures during and even before pregnancy. There is also a significant role of parental genomic context in determining offspring susceptibility to liver dysfunction, a large area of potential research to better understand the preconceptual environment of both parents and how it influences development of diseases and programs lifelong health.
Read the article here – congratulations to Dr. Megan Knuth, US DOHaD member and previous Trainee Representative on her article! Dr. Susan Sumner is also one of the Keynote Speakers at the 2024 Annual Meeting, we hope to see you there!
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