Prevention Epigenetics

The Andersen laboratory focuses on translating epigenetic signatures of substance use into clinical tools for prevention of adverse outcomes such as mortality and cognitive impairment. A particular focus of the laboratory is understanding the significance of G-protein coupled receptor 15 (GPR15) in smokers. Demethylation of the CpG cg19859270 in smokers has become a well-replicated finding in epigenetics in the past 5 years and corresponds to an increase in lymphocytes expressing GPR15, but the clinical significance of this change in immune composition and relevance to smoking-related disease is unclear. Dr. Andersen is currently collaborating with a colleague in the College of Dentistry, Sukirth Ganesan, BDS, PhD, to investigate whether increased trafficking of GPR15+ T cells to the oral cavity in nicotine users is related to oral disease.

PubMed link

Department/Program Affiliations:
Psychiatry