The Timing of a Dose Matters – NPR Briefly Covers Epigenetics
Epigenetics is not yet an everyday word. But it’s being discussed more and more often outside of science circles, as illustrated by this new John Hamilton story on NPR. The story keys on research by a Duke Medical School professor who lost a child to liver cancer at a very early age.
The point for toxic tort lawyers? The article provides a stark reminder: It’s not just about the dose – it’s also about the timing of the dose. The fetus is especially vulnerable, as highlighted by the researcher, Dr. Susan Kay Murphy ("And the first week or so after conception appears to be "a particularly vulnerable time where environmental influences can directly affect an epigenetic outcome," she says.")