A Biopolitical Perspective on Knowledge Translation

January-February 2016 Recent findings in epigenetics have been attracting much attention from social scientists and bioethicists because they reveal the molecular mechanisms by which exposure to socioenvironmental factors, such as pollutants and social injustice, can influence the expression of genes throughout life. This epigenetic programming that happens during embryogenesis, fetal development, and early childhood consists largely in longlasting changes in the three-dimensional structure of DNA at specific genes, turning them “on” (through gene activation) or “off” (through gene silencing). It thus creates substantial biological variability among individuals and populations. Most surprisingly, some epigenetic modifications may also be heritable via germ cells across generations. Epigenetic programming and inheritance have reignited discussions about environmental and social justice duties to protect future generations from avoidable harm. Epigenetics, as we have previously discussed, can provide a convincing argument for biomedically inclined individuals and organizations to acknowledge the importance of addressing environmental living conditions and tackling social inequalities to improve public health. It may be the missing molecular evidence of the importance of using preventive strategies at the policy level to reduce the incidence and prevalence of common diseases. But while this “policy translation” of epigenetics introduces new arguments in favor of public health strategies and policy-making, a more “clinical translation” of epigenetics is also emerging. It focuses Epigenetics could provide the missing molecular evidence of the importance of using public policy to