Two critical properties of stem cells are self-renewal and multipotency. The maintenance of their "stemness" state and commitment to differentiation are therefore tightly controlled by intricate molecular networks. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling and the noncoding RNA-mediated process, have profound regulatory roles in mammalian gene expression. Recent stu...

Autism was currently one of the most prominent and widely discussed pediatriccondition a set neurodevelopmental disorders.

It takes >20 y before the human brain obtains its complex adult configuration. Most dramatic neurodevelopmental changes occur prenatally and early postnatally, including a major transformation in cortical organization 3-4 mo after term. The long-lasting changes have practical implications for studies evaluating the effect of prenatal and early postnatal supplementation with long-chain polyunsat...

BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is an established risk factor for neurodevelopmental deficits in the offspring. Prenatal depression has been associated with neurodevelopmental deficits in the offspring, although investigations into unmedicated prenatal depression have been inconsistent. We hypothesized that unmedicated prenatal depressive symptoms would independently and jointly with...

The authors review environmental and neurodevelopmental risk factors for schizophrenic disorders, with emphasis on minor physical anomalies, particularly craniofacial anomalies and dermatoglyphic variations. The high prevalence of these anomalies among schizophrenic subjects supports the neurodevelopmental theory of the etiology of schizophrenia, since they suggest either genetically or epigene...