Early Embryo Development May Be the Foundation for Lifelong Health

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have found that the initial stages of embryo development significantly influence an individual's future health and aging.

Professor Rebecca Robker, who leads the Reproduction and Development discipline at the University of Adelaide’s School of Biomedicine and Robinson Research Institute, Co-directed a team that conducted a pre-clinical trial. Their research revealed that cellular processes occurring in the egg at fertilization play a crucial role in determining the telomere length of the offspring.

Telomeres are the parts of chromosomes that influence the growth and rejuvenation of human tissues. Some babies are born with shorter telomeres than others, increasing their lifetime risk of chronic diseases associated with aging.”

Rebecca Robker, Professor, University of Adelaide

Robker said, “As just one example, shorter telomeres are observed in children of women with obesity or metabolic syndrome. As adults, these individuals are at increased risk of premature mortality from cardiovascular events, like a heart attack or stroke, even when they are not obese themselves.”

“Until now it has not been clear how the length of telomeres is determined before birth.”

Shortened telomere length can result from cellular damage during embryonic development.

There are specific types of cellular damage during the very first days of embryo development which cause the defect in the telomeres of the embryo, which causes them to be shorter at the time of birth.”

Dr. Yasmyn Winstanley, Study Co-Lead, University of Adelaide

Winstanley said, “The process is highly responsive to signals from the mother’s body. Our findings show maternal health and environmental conditions at the time of conception can have long-term consequences and can even influence the offspring’s susceptibility versus resilience to aging-associated diseases in later life. These findings highlight that the health of women and girls should be a major focus of public health policies.”

The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, also demonstrated the potential to reverse cellular damage and restore telomere length.

We provide proof-of-concept that DNA resetting can be modulated in embryos where it is deficient, using currently available drugs, to influence telomere length at birth, which is a major marker of lifetime aging.”

Rebecca Robker, Professor, University of Adelaide

Robker said, “Our identification of specific pharmaceutical compounds that can modulate telomeres during preconception and immediately following fertilization means that there are therapeutic opportunities to optimize this biology, which is a key determinant of chronic disease risk.”

The researchers are currently collaborating with Vitaleon Pharma to translate these new findings into therapies for reproductive medicine and applications for fertility specialists.