The intrauterine environment can induce alterations of the epigenome that have a lasting impact on disease risk. Current human studies in the field focus on a single epigenetic mark, DNA methylation, measured in blood. For in-depth mechanistic insight into the developmental origins of disease, it will be crucial to consider innovative tissue types. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may serve as a novel tool to investigate the full epigenome beyond DNA methylation, to explore other omics levels, and to perform functional assays. Moreover, MSCs can be differentiated into multiple cell types and thereby mimic otherwise inaccessible cell types. A first wave of studies supports the potential of MSCs and illustrates how the innovative use of this cell type may be incorporated in birth cohorts.

宫内环境可以诱导表观基因组的改变，从而对疾病风险产生持久影响。目前该领域的人类研究集中在血液中测量的单一表观遗传标记，即 DNA 甲基化。为了深入了解疾病的发育起源，考虑创新的组织类型至关重要。间充质基质细胞 (MSCs) 可以作为一种新工具来研究 DNA 甲基化之外的完整表观基因组，探索其他组学水平，并进行功能测定。此外，MSCs 可以分化成多种细胞类型，从而模拟其他难以接近的细胞类型。第一波研究支持 MSCs 的潜力，并说明如何将这种细胞类型的创新使用纳入出生队列。