The causes of psychiatric diseases can be multiple, but certainly involve both environmental and genetic aspects. A new study from Professor Eric Miska’s Group in our Programme, in collaboration with Professor Isabelle Mansuy at ETH/University of Zürich, presents compelling evidence for a new player in the mechanisms that mediate environmentally increased disease risk. Using a well-established mouse model, the authors demonstrate that early life trauma alters long RNA molecules in sperm. These molecules relay the effects of the traumatic experience on anxiety, insulin metabolism and food intake to the offspring complementary to altered small RNAs, that convey effects on depressive-like behavior.
These findings have strong implications for potential intervention strategies targeting the prevention of the inheritance of trauma-induced increased disease risk.
