Social Epigenetics and Equality of Opportunity

Abstract

Recent epidemiological reports of associations between socioeconomic status and epigenetic markers that predict vulnerability to diseases are bringing to light substantial biological effects of social inequalities. Here, we start the discussion of the moral consequences of these findings. We firstly highlight their explanatory importance in the context of the research program on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and the social determinants of health. In the second section, we review some theories of the moral status of health inequalities. Rather than a complete outline of the debate, we single out those theories that rest on the principle of equality of opportunity and analyze the consequences of DOHaD and epigenetics for these particular conceptions of justice. We argue that DOHaD and epigenetics reshape the conceptual distinction between natural and acquired traits on which these theories rely and might provide important policy tools to tackle unjust distributions of health.

What’s in a name? The three genealogies of the social in social epigenetics

“…Social epigenetics is sometimes conflated with environmental epigenetics: 'Social epigenetics is the study of the molecular mechanisms by which early-life experiences influence gene expression and have persistent effects on human physiology and health' (Park & Kobor, 2015); 'the idea that pollution, parenting, stress, adversity or poverty shape the human body and brain such that it is more vulnerable to illness or unrealized potential' (Landecker, 2016). However, the expression has also been coined to designate an area of environmental epigenetics which specifically investigates the epigenetic modifications caused by social environments: 'scientific research in the field of social epigenetics has shed light on molecular mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, through which living conditions and social structures can impact gene expression and confer different biological vulnerability to specific diseases to some 'social groups' (Saulnier & Dupras, 2017); [social epigenetics studies] 'associations between socioeconomic status and epigenetic markers that predict vulnerability to diseases' (Loi, Del Savio & Stupka, 2013).…”

“…While some social science scholars warn against early signs of the intensification of women's maternal responsibilities for their children's obesity, others emphasize the political malleability of epigenetics: 'As with genetics, insights from epigenetics can present both means of empowerment -to understand the links between social location and health outcomes -but also means of possible discrimination' (Saldaña-Tejeda, 2018). 14 Ethicists and philosophers have argued that the jury is still out as to the implication of social epigenetics in intergenerational equity (Loi, Del Savio & Stupka, 2013) and in environmental justice: '[Epigenetics] could shift the focus from populations receiving disproportionate exposure to those with greater susceptibility. Second, rather than focusing on geographically-defined communities, it concentrates on the individual biological factors that establish increased risk […] It remains to be seen whether emerging scientific evidence of epigenetic effects, including transgenerational effects, will be a catalyst for environmental justice' (Rothstein, Cai & Marchant, 2009).…”

Gene regulation contributes to explain the impact of early life socioeconomic disadvantage on adult inflammatory levels in two European cohort studies

“…In the second part of our study, we focused on local DNA methylation as regulating mechanism (mediator) of a gene' transcription (outcome) according to the causal structure in Figure 2B. We chose DNA methylation as it is the most widely studied epigenetic mechanism in the field of social epidemiology 32 and as it represents a potential therapeutic target 33 . Since the relationship between levels of local DNA methylation and genes transcription can be bidirectional 34,35,36 or absent 19 , for each pro-inflammatory gene and DNA methylation site we did not posit any specific causal structure between gene transcrition and DNA methylation measurements.…”

Genômica Nutricional

“…mencionadas em assembleia nacional no final de 2015 na França 19 , elas o foram como parte de uma política pública recente que tem a finalidade de conscientizar casais, mulheres grávidas e pais para o papel de nutrição intrauterina e infantil na saúde futura das crianças. Tal política, baseada essencialmente na responsabilização dos indivíduos, parece, por um lado, desconsiderar a existência e a possível reprodução das desigualdades sociais em saúde e, por outro, reforçá-las (LOI et al, 2013;GUIBET LAFAYE, 2014).…”