[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.92,0:00:02.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it all came to life
Dialogue: 0,0:00:02.63,0:00:04.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a dark bar in Madrid.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:05.02,0:00:09.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I encountered my colleague\Nfrom McGill, Michael Meaney.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.27,0:00:11.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we were drinking a few beers,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.60,0:00:13.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and like scientists do,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.68,0:00:15.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he told me about his work.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.30,0:00:23.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he told me that he is interested\Nin how mother rats lick their pups
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.28,0:00:24.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,after they were born.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.66,0:00:28.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I was sitting there and saying,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.10,0:00:31.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"This is where my tax\Ndollars are wasted --
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.12,0:00:32.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.18,0:00:34.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on this kind of soft science."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.84,0:00:38.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he started telling me
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.36,0:00:41.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the rats, like humans,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.78,0:00:44.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,lick their pups in very different ways.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.25,0:00:46.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some mothers do a lot of that,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.01,0:00:49.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,some mothers do very little,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.24,0:00:51.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and most are in between.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.87,0:00:53.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But what's interesting about it
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.79,0:00:58.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is when he follows these pups\Nwhen they become adults --
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.73,0:01:02.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like, years in human life,\Nlong after their mother died.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.94,0:01:05.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They are completely different animals.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.03,0:01:09.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The animals that were licked\Nand groomed heavily,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.43,0:01:11.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the high licking and grooming,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.06,0:01:13.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are not stressed.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.02,0:01:16.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They have different sexual behavior.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.30,0:01:19.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They have a different way of living
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.27,0:01:24.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than those that were not treated\Nas intensively by their mothers.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.93,0:01:29.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So then I was thinking to myself:
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.12,0:01:30.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is this magic?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.00,0:01:32.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How does this work?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.40,0:01:34.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As geneticists would like you to think,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.39,0:01:39.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,perhaps the mother had\Nthe "bad mother" gene
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.39,0:01:43.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that caused her pups to be stressful,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.05,0:01:45.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then it was passed\Nfrom generation to generation;
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.62,0:01:48.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's all determined by genetics.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.34,0:01:51.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or is it possible that something\Nelse is going on here?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.86,0:01:55.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In rats, we can ask\Nthis question and answer it.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.46,0:01:59.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what we did is\Na cross-fostering experiment.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.08,0:02:03.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You essentially separate the litter,\Nthe babies of this rat, at birth,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.86,0:02:05.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to two kinds of fostering mothers --
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.75,0:02:09.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not the real mothers,\Nbut mothers that will take care of them:
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.11,0:02:11.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,high-licking mothers\Nand low-licking mothers.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.38,0:02:15.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And you can do the opposite\Nwith the low-licking pups.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.71,0:02:18.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the remarkable answer was,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.10,0:02:22.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it wasn't important\Nwhat gene you got from your mother.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.17,0:02:27.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was not the biological mother\Nthat defined this property of these rats.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.94,0:02:31.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is the mother that\Ntook care of the pups.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.77,0:02:35.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So how can this work?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.92,0:02:38.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I am an a epigeneticist.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.75,0:02:42.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I am interested in how genes are marked
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.44,0:02:44.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by a chemical mark
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.18,0:02:48.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,during embryogenesis, during the time\Nwe're in the womb of our mothers,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.01,0:02:51.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and decide which gene will be expressed
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.52,0:02:52.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in what tissue.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.72,0:02:56.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Different genes are expressed in the brain\Nthan in the liver and the eye.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.72,0:03:00.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we thought: Is it possible
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.58,0:03:07.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the mother is somehow\Nreprogramming the gene of her offspring
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.55,0:03:09.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through her behavior?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.12,0:03:10.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we spent 10 years,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.76,0:03:14.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we found that there is a cascade\Nof biochemical events
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.82,0:03:18.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by which the licking and grooming\Nof the mother, the care of the mother,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.29,0:03:20.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is translated to biochemical signals
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.80,0:03:24.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that go into the nucleus and into the DNA
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.13,0:03:26.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and program it differently.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.24,0:03:31.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So now the animal can prepare\Nitself for life:
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.16,0:03:33.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is life going to be harsh?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.80,0:03:35.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is there going to be a lot of food?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.59,0:03:38.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Are there going to be a lot of cats\Nand snakes around,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.14,0:03:40.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or will I live\Nin an upper-class neighborhood
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.48,0:03:43.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where all I have to do\Nis behave well and proper,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.21,0:03:46.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that will gain me social acceptance?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.98,0:03:52.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And now one can think about\Nhow important that process can be
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.59,0:03:53.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for our lives.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.79,0:03:56.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We inherit our DNA from our ancestors.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.41,0:03:59.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The DNA is old.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.36,0:04:01.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It evolved during evolution.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.94,0:04:06.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it doesn't tell us\Nif you are going to be born in Stockholm,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.30,0:04:09.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where the days are long in the summer\Nand short in the winter,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.70,0:04:11.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or in Ecuador,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.03,0:04:14.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where there's an equal number of hours\Nfor day and night all year round.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.59,0:04:18.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that has such an enormous [effect]\Non our physiology.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.49,0:04:23.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what we suggest is,\Nperhaps what happens early in life,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.75,0:04:25.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,those signals that come\Nthrough the mother,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.94,0:04:30.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,tell the child what kind of social world\Nyou're going to be living in.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.48,0:04:33.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It will be harsh, and you'd better\Nbe anxious and be stressful,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:33.90,0:04:37.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or it's going to be an easy world,\Nand you have to be different.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.05,0:04:40.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is it going to be a world\Nwith a lot of light or little light?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.26,0:04:44.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is it going to be a world\Nwith a lot of food or little food?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:44.27,0:04:45.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If there's no food around,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.82,0:04:50.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you'd better develop your brain to binge\Nwhenever you see a meal,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.46,0:04:55.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or store every piece of food\Nthat you have as fat.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.82,0:04:58.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this is good.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:58.27,0:05:00.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Evolution has selected this
Dialogue: 0,0:05:00.15,0:05:05.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to allow our fixed, old DNA\Nto function in a dynamic way
Dialogue: 0,0:05:05.07,0:05:06.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in new environments.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.38,0:05:09.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But sometimes things can go wrong;
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.71,0:05:14.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for example, if you're born\Nto a poor family
Dialogue: 0,0:05:14.59,0:05:17.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the signals are, "You better binge,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.54,0:05:20.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you better eat every piece of food\Nyou're going to encounter."
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.78,0:05:23.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But now we humans\Nand our brain have evolved,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:23.06,0:05:25.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have changed evolution even faster.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:25.18,0:05:28.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now you can buy McDonald's for one dollar.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.57,0:05:34.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And therefore, the preparation\Nthat we had by our mothers
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.00,0:05:37.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is turning out to be maladaptive.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.35,0:05:42.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The same preparation that was supposed\Nto protect us from hunger and famine
Dialogue: 0,0:05:42.59,0:05:45.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is going to cause obesity,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.07,0:05:48.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cardiovascular problems\Nand metabolic disease.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:48.67,0:05:52.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this concept that genes\Ncould be marked by our experience,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.16,0:05:54.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and especially the early life experience,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:54.49,0:05:57.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can provide us a unifying explanation
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.32,0:05:59.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of both health and disease.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.61,0:06:02.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But is true only for rats?
Dialogue: 0,0:06:02.99,0:06:05.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem is, we cannot\Ntest this in humans,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.97,0:06:10.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because ethically, we cannot administer\Nchild adversity in a random way.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.11,0:06:13.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So if a poor child develops\Na certain property,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.43,0:06:17.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we don't know whether\Nthis is caused by poverty
Dialogue: 0,0:06:17.20,0:06:20.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or whether poor people have bad genes.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.04,0:06:23.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So geneticists will try to tell you\Nthat poor people are poor
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.18,0:06:25.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because their genes make them poor.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.26,0:06:27.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Epigeneticists will tell you
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.25,0:06:31.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,poor people are in a bad environment\Nor an impoverished environment
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.38,0:06:34.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that creates that phenotype,\Nthat property.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.58,0:06:41.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we moved to look\Ninto our cousins, the monkeys.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:42.09,0:06:45.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My colleague, Stephen Suomi,\Nhas been rearing monkeys
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.80,0:06:46.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in two different ways:
Dialogue: 0,0:06:46.99,0:06:49.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,randomly separated the monkey\Nfrom the mother
Dialogue: 0,0:06:49.92,0:06:52.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and reared her with a nurse
Dialogue: 0,0:06:52.53,0:06:55.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and surrogate motherhood conditions.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.51,0:06:58.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So these monkeys didn't have\Na mother; they had a nurse.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:58.21,0:07:02.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And other monkeys were reared\Nwith their normal, natural mothers.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:02.85,0:07:07.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And when they were old,\Nthey were completely different animals.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:07.57,0:07:10.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The monkeys that had a mother\Ndid not care about alcohol,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:10.69,0:07:12.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they were not sexually aggressive.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.39,0:07:16.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The monkeys that didn't have a mother\Nwere aggressive, were stressed
Dialogue: 0,0:07:16.18,0:07:17.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and were alcoholics.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:18.48,0:07:23.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we looked at their DNA\Nearly after birth, to see:
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.99,0:07:26.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is it possible that the mother is marking?
Dialogue: 0,0:07:26.78,0:07:32.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is there a signature of the mother\Nin the DNA of the offspring?
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.16,0:07:34.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These are Day-14 monkeys,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.44,0:07:38.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what you see here is the modern way\Nby which we study epigenetics.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:38.54,0:07:43.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can now map those chemical marks,\Nwhich we call methylation marks,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:43.22,0:07:46.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on DNA at a single nucleotide resolution.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:46.51,0:07:48.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can map the entire genome.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.41,0:07:51.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can now compare the monkey\Nthat had a mother or not.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:51.50,0:07:53.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And here's a visual presentation of this.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:53.48,0:07:58.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What you see is the genes\Nthat got more methylated are red.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:58.24,0:08:01.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The genes that got\Nless methylated are green.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:01.28,0:08:03.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can see many genes are changing,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:03.78,0:08:06.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because not having a mother\Nis not just one thing --
Dialogue: 0,0:08:06.52,0:08:08.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it affects the whole way;
Dialogue: 0,0:08:08.08,0:08:11.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it sends signals about the whole way\Nyour world is going to look
Dialogue: 0,0:08:11.61,0:08:13.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when you become an adult.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.39,0:08:15.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And you can see the two groups of monkeys
Dialogue: 0,0:08:15.84,0:08:18.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,extremely well-separated from each other.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:19.39,0:08:21.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How early does this develop?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.08,0:08:24.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These monkeys already\Ndidn't see their mothers,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:24.32,0:08:26.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so they had a social experience.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:26.04,0:08:30.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Do we sense our social status,\Neven at the moment of birth?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.13,0:08:35.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So in this experiment,\Nwe took placentas of monkeys
Dialogue: 0,0:08:35.20,0:08:37.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that had different social status.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:37.70,0:08:43.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What's interesting about social rank\Nis that across all living beings,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:43.10,0:08:45.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they will structure\Nthemselves by hierarchy.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:46.34,0:08:48.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Monkey number one is the boss;
Dialogue: 0,0:08:48.56,0:08:50.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,monkey number four is the peon.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:50.92,0:08:53.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You put four monkeys in a cage,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:53.38,0:08:56.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there will always be a boss\Nand always be a peon.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:57.45,0:09:01.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what's interesting\Nis that the monkey number one
Dialogue: 0,0:09:01.32,0:09:04.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is much healthier than monkey number four.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:04.78,0:09:06.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if you put them in a cage,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:06.60,0:09:11.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,monkey number one will not eat as much.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:11.32,0:09:13.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Monkey number four will eat [a lot].
Dialogue: 0,0:09:14.13,0:09:18.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what you see here\Nin this methylation mapping,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:18.43,0:09:21.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a dramatic separation at birth
Dialogue: 0,0:09:21.22,0:09:23.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the animals that had\Na high social status
Dialogue: 0,0:09:23.96,0:09:26.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,versus the animals\Nthat did not have a high status.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:27.35,0:09:31.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we are born already knowing\Nthe social information,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:31.60,0:09:34.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that social information\Nis not bad or good,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:34.68,0:09:36.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it just prepares us for life,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:36.12,0:09:40.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because we have to program\Nour biology differently
Dialogue: 0,0:09:40.39,0:09:43.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we are in the high\Nor the low social status.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:44.33,0:09:46.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But how can you study this in humans?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:46.71,0:09:50.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can't do experiments,\Nwe can't administer adversity to humans.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:50.18,0:09:52.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But God does experiments with humans,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:52.80,0:09:55.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's called natural disasters.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:55.11,0:09:59.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the hardest natural disasters\Nin Canadian history
Dialogue: 0,0:09:59.40,0:10:01.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,happened in my province of Quebec.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:01.83,0:10:04.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's the ice storm of 1998.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.26,0:10:08.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We lost our entire electrical grid\Nbecause of an ice storm
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.08,0:10:11.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when the temperatures\Nwere, in the dead of winter in Quebec,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:11.10,0:10:13.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,minus 20 to minus 30.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:13.07,0:10:15.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there were pregnant\Nmothers during that time.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.08,0:10:22.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And my colleague Suzanne King\Nfollowed the children of these mothers
Dialogue: 0,0:10:22.14,0:10:23.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for 15 years.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:24.56,0:10:28.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what happened was,\Nthat as the stress increased --
Dialogue: 0,0:10:28.84,0:10:31.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and here we had objective\Nmeasures of stress:
Dialogue: 0,0:10:31.47,0:10:35.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How long were you without power?\NWhere did you spend your time?
Dialogue: 0,0:10:35.93,0:10:40.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Was it in your mother-in-law's apartment\Nor in some posh country home?
Dialogue: 0,0:10:40.96,0:10:43.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So all of these added up\Nto a social stress scale,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:43.64,0:10:45.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you can ask the question:
Dialogue: 0,0:10:45.04,0:10:48.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How did the children look?
Dialogue: 0,0:10:48.11,0:10:50.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it appears that as stress increases,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:50.77,0:10:52.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the children develop more autism,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:52.85,0:10:55.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they develop more metabolic diseases
Dialogue: 0,0:10:55.42,0:10:58.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they develop more autoimmune diseases.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:58.79,0:11:01.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We would map the methylation state,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:01.24,0:11:06.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and again, you see the green genes\Nbecoming red as stress increases,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:06.80,0:11:10.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the red genes becoming green\Nas stress increases,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:10.31,0:11:14.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an entire rearrangement\Nof the genome in response to stress.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:17.44,0:11:20.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So if we can program genes,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:20.68,0:11:24.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we are not just the slaves\Nof the history of our genes,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:24.67,0:11:27.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that they could be programmed,\Ncan we deprogram them?
Dialogue: 0,0:11:28.09,0:11:32.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because epigenetic causes\Ncan cause diseases like cancer,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:33.66,0:11:35.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,metabolic disease
Dialogue: 0,0:11:35.49,0:11:37.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and mental health diseases.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:38.12,0:11:40.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's talk about cocaine addiction.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:41.58,0:11:44.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Cocaine addiction is a terrible situation
Dialogue: 0,0:11:44.66,0:11:48.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that can lead to death\Nand to loss of human life.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:49.54,0:11:51.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We asked the question:
Dialogue: 0,0:11:51.49,0:11:54.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Can we reprogram the addicted brain
Dialogue: 0,0:11:54.76,0:11:59.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make that animal not addicted anymore?
Dialogue: 0,0:12:00.38,0:12:04.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We used a cocaine addiction model
Dialogue: 0,0:12:04.68,0:12:06.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that recapitulates what happens in humans.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:06.79,0:12:09.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In humans, you're in high school,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:09.49,0:12:11.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,some friends suggest you use some cocaine,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:11.59,0:12:13.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you take cocaine, nothing happens.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:13.42,0:12:17.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Months pass by, something reminds you\Nof what happened the first time,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:17.64,0:12:19.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a pusher pushes cocaine,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:19.31,0:12:22.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you become addicted\Nand your life has changed.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:22.16,0:12:23.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In rats, we do the same thing.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:23.84,0:12:25.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My colleague, Gal Yadid,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:25.43,0:12:28.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he trains the animals\Nto get used to cocaine,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:28.46,0:12:31.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then for one month, no cocaine.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:31.61,0:12:35.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then he reminds them of the party\Nwhen they saw the cocaine the first time
Dialogue: 0,0:12:35.31,0:12:38.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by cue, the colors of the cage\Nwhen they saw cocaine.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:38.15,0:12:39.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they go crazy.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:39.83,0:12:42.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They will press the lever to get cocaine
Dialogue: 0,0:12:42.30,0:12:43.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,till they die.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:44.05,0:12:48.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We first determined that the difference\Nbetween these animals
Dialogue: 0,0:12:48.51,0:12:51.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that during that time\Nwhen nothing happens,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:51.24,0:12:53.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's no cocaine around,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:53.04,0:12:54.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their epigenome is rearranged.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:54.98,0:12:57.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their genes are re-marked\Nin a different way,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:57.89,0:13:01.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and when the cue comes,\Ntheir genome is ready
Dialogue: 0,0:13:01.66,0:13:03.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to develop this addictive phenotype.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:04.56,0:13:11.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we treated these animals with drugs\Nthat either increase DNA methylation,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:11.36,0:13:13.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which was the epigenetic\Nmarker to look at,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:13.61,0:13:17.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or decrease epigenetic markings.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:17.11,0:13:20.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we found that\Nif we increased methylation,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:20.39,0:13:22.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these animals go even crazier.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:22.30,0:13:24.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They become more craving for cocaine.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:24.81,0:13:28.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But if we reduce the DNA methylation,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:28.26,0:13:30.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the animals are not addicted anymore.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:30.39,0:13:32.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We have reprogrammed them.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:32.03,0:13:35.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And a fundamental difference\Nbetween an epigenetic drug
Dialogue: 0,0:13:35.36,0:13:36.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and any other drug
Dialogue: 0,0:13:36.69,0:13:38.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that with epigenetic drugs,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:38.88,0:13:43.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we essentially remove\Nthe signs of experience,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:43.04,0:13:45.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and once they're gone,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:45.19,0:13:48.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they will not come back\Nunless you have the same experience.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:48.24,0:13:49.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The animal now is reprogrammed.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:49.92,0:13:54.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So when we visited the animals\N30 days, 60 days later,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:54.16,0:13:57.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is in human terms\Nmany years of life,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:57.10,0:14:02.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they were still not addicted --\Nby a single epigenetic treatment.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:04.47,0:14:07.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what did we learn about DNA?
Dialogue: 0,0:14:07.77,0:14:10.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,DNA is not just a sequence of letters;
Dialogue: 0,0:14:10.92,0:14:13.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's not just a script.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:13.06,0:14:15.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,DNA is a dynamic movie.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:16.37,0:14:21.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our experiences are being written\Ninto this movie, which is interactive.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:21.30,0:14:24.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You're, like, watching a movie\Nof your life, with the DNA,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:24.88,0:14:26.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with your remote control.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:26.68,0:14:30.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can remove an actor and add an actor.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:30.87,0:14:36.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so you have, in spite\Nof the deterministic nature of genetics,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:36.79,0:14:40.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you have control of the way\Nyour genes look,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:40.50,0:14:43.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and this has a tremendous\Noptimistic message
Dialogue: 0,0:14:43.80,0:14:47.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the ability to now encounter\Nsome of the deadly diseases
Dialogue: 0,0:14:47.33,0:14:50.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like cancer, mental health,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:50.26,0:14:53.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with a new approach,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:53.21,0:14:55.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,looking at them as maladaptation.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:55.77,0:14:58.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if we can epigenetically intervene,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:58.87,0:15:02.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[we can] reverse the movie\Nby removing an actor
Dialogue: 0,0:15:02.39,0:15:05.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and setting up a new narrative.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:06.03,0:15:08.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what I told you today is,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:08.55,0:15:13.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,our DNA is really combined\Nof two components,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:13.66,0:15:15.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,two layers of information.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:16.11,0:15:19.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One layer of information is old,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:19.80,0:15:23.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,evolved from millions\Nof years of evolution.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:23.33,0:15:26.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is fixed, and very hard to change.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:27.41,0:15:31.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The other layer of information\Nis the epigenetic layer,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:31.28,0:15:35.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is open and dynamic
Dialogue: 0,0:15:35.20,0:15:39.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and sets up a narrative\Nthat is interactive,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:39.82,0:15:46.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that allows us to control,\Nto a large extent, our destiny,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:47.70,0:15:51.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to help the destiny of our children
Dialogue: 0,0:15:51.18,0:15:55.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to hopefully conquer disease
Dialogue: 0,0:15:55.35,0:15:59.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and serious health challenges
Dialogue: 0,0:15:59.79,0:16:03.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that have plagued humankind\Nfor a long time.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:03.43,0:16:06.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So even though we are determined
Dialogue: 0,0:16:06.85,0:16:08.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by our genes,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:08.62,0:16:11.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we have a degree of freedom
Dialogue: 0,0:16:11.72,0:16:15.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that can set up our life\Nto a life of responsibility.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:15.87,0:16:17.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:17.12,0:16:22.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)