Cannabis use alters DNA methylation, with implications beyond smoking effects
News Medical
News Medical
Quote:In a recent study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, a team of researchers conducted a large-scale meta-analysis consisting of an epigenome-wide association study to understand whether lifetime use of cannabis was linked to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation observed in peripheral blood.
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Five significant cigarette smoking-independent CpGs were significantly associated with cannabis use. These CpG sites have also been implicated in cigarette smokers; therefore, both cannabis use and cigarette smoking may independently influence DNA methylation at these CpGs.
A key advantage of the current study is its large and diverse study cohort. However, this heterogeneity may have prevented the researchers from identifying ancestry-specific DNA methylation associations in cannabis users.
Overall, the study findings provide important insights into the shared DNA methylation profiles between cannabis users and cigarette smokers. Nevertheless, future studies are needed to better understand the potential health impacts of DNA methylation at these CpG sites.
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~ Erin Hunter
