Effects of DNA Methylation
(University of Geneva, June 18, 2013)
Methylation is an epigenetic process that modifies DNA. Scientists had established a correlation between methylation and the inhibition of a gene. However, as scientists at the University of Geneva recently discovered, DNA methylation is more complex than the correlation suggests. In some cases, the methylation has no effect on the expression of the affected gene. This new discovery will help improve medical decisions based on DNA analysis because it reveals not just a correlation between two variables but a verifiable causation.