Sperm cells carry past trauma in their epigenetics

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Story by Devika Rao,
Generational wounds may live in our genes. New research suggests that childhood trauma leads to a difference in the epigenetics of a sperm cell, which can impact a child's development and also be passed on by that child via epigenetic inheritance. According to the new study, a parent's particular experiences and behaviours may significantly affect future generations more than previously assumed.
 drinking or smoking behaviours. The study said these results "provide further evidence that early life stress influences the paternal germline epigenome and supports a possible effect in modulating the development of the central nervous system of the next generation. "
Generation after generation
While the study found epigenetic changes in the sperm cells of those who experienced distress as children, "the inheritance of these findings has not yet been proven, so further research is needed," University of Turku Professor Emeritus Hasse Karlsson, who worked on the study, said in a press release. "Next, we want to study childhood maltreatment, epigenome of sperm, and offspring characteristics together," added Tuulari in the press release. "Demonstrating epigenetic inheritance in humans would rewrite the rules of inheritance, which highlights the need for further research."
Scientists have long been interested in how the behaviour and experiences of parents genetically affect their children, especially when it comes to the sperm cell. "There must be a huge component of the pathogenesis which is not simply explained by genetic predisposition," Raffaele Teperino, a physiologist and pharmacologist at Helmholtz Munich, said to The Scientist. For example, a 2024 study found that paternal diet and weight can affect their offspring's metabolic health — even if the offspring has a healthy diet.