Gene Expression and Its Discontents

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This book explores how epigenetic context influences gene expression and organism development, utilizing information theory's asymptotic limit theorems to create statistical models for data analysis. This framework enhances understanding of how contextual factors shape development. It reveals that epigenetic information sources serve as tunable catalysts, guiding ontogeny along specific pathways, which is crucial for epigenetic epidemiology. Environmental stressors can lead to a wide range of developmental dysfunctions, and the text examines various chronic diseases through U.S. data across different scales and organizational levels. Notably, it highlights how the legacy of slavery has been exacerbated by rapid industrial decline and urban decay. Individual chapters focus on conditions such as obesity, coronary heart disease, cancer, mental disorders, autoimmune dysfunction, and Alzheimer’s disease. Developmental disorders are influenced by environmental factors shaped by historical contexts, making them resistant to population-level medical interventions amid ongoing individual and community stress. Powerful drugs that could alter harmful epigenetic programming may also have adverse side effects, potentially reducing lifespan. To effectively tackle chronic conditions and developmental disorders, substantial large-scale changes in public policy and resource allocation are necessary.