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This discovery is one of many that is revolutionizing our understanding of biology. The logic of it seems simple in hindsight, that binding proteins at one point on the DNA molecule create mechanical changes to the molecule that make other bindings possible. Unlike the neat pictures of the double helix in textbooks, DNA spends most of its time balled up like yarn. Many epigenetic changes relax or tighten this ball to hide or expose instructions that activate or suppress gene expression. These changes react to environmental, dietary, and even emotional processes in our body. This is another epigenetic mechanism path that is now under investigation.
A very good book on this whole area is “The Secret Language of Cells” by Jon Liefe, MD. All our body cells use chemical and electrical signals to coordinate our growth, healing, and even time of our death during our entire lifetimes. Understanding their messages may lead to eliminating cancer tumors and even replacing organs or limbs lost to disease or accident.