A critical view on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans
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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Author Spotlight: RNAi Inheritance and ChIP in C. elegans
Published on: May 5, 2023
1Institut für Humangenetik, Universitätsklinikum Essen and Universität Duisburg-Essen, 45147, Essen, Germany. bernhard.horsthemke@uni-due.de.
Abstract:
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance refers to the transmission of epigenetic information through the germline. While it has been observed in plants, nematodes and fruit flies, its occurrence in mammals-and humans in particular-is the matter of controversial debate, mostly because the study of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is confounded by genetic, ecological and cultural inheritance. In this comment, I discuss the phenomenon of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the difficulty of providing conclusive proof for it in experimental and observational studies.
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