Summary: A new study in mice shows that animals prone to PTSD have low levels of an enzyme called DNMT3A. This enzyme drives DNA methylation. It can be raised with a supplement for brain health that donates methyl groups, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), along with vitamin A. PTSD is a complex disorder. Studies show that people differ hugely in how sensitive they are. Put a group of people through the same kind of trauma, and some may develop PTSD while others do not. New studies show these differences come from genetics. Genetics also shapes the extent of post traumatic stress disorder treatment. Some people are more resilient. You cannot change genes. But you can change how they behave through epigenetic alterations.
PTSD is more common than we think. It often follows a traumatic event. Life with PTSD can be very hard, because there is no effective treatment for it.
Researchers also know that personal sensitivity matters a lot. Two people can go through the same trauma. One may develop PTSD, and the other may not. So researchers want to know what makes some people resilient.
Much of this comes down to genetic differences, and genes cannot be changed. But new studies show that even if genes stay the same, their activity can be tuned. Some genes can be switched up and others turned down. This is called “epigenetic alterations.”
Epigenetic alterations happen in all of us over our lifetime. So our genes are always being tuned. Since changing genes is not an option, researchers focus on ways to tune gene activity. They are testing new ways to make epigenetic changes.
New studies show that in some people, exposure to trauma in their early life results in “epigenetic alterations,” which is the cause of PTSD. DNA from people living with PTSD confirms these epigenetic changes.
A research team led by Prof. Gal Yadid of the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, studied this question. They used animal models to learn how certain epigenetic changes in the brain cause PTSD. Their findings were published in the Nature journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Epigenetic changes that shift gene activity happen through a process called DNA methylation. So the researchers compared two groups of mice exposed to trauma. One group developed PTSD signs. The other stayed resilient.
They found that an enzyme called DNMT3A, which drives DNA methylation, is low in animals prone to PTSD. So raising this enzyme may make them more resilient. They also found that this enzyme is influenced by retinoic acid receptors. Vitamin A switches those receptors on.
They also found that putting DNMT3A or retinoic acid orphan receptor genes into animal brains could help in post traumatic stress disorder treatment. This confirmed the root mechanism that sets some animals up for the condition.
Of course, we cannot inject people with specific genes the way we can with animals. Editing genes is not a real option yet either. But using certain substances to make epigenetic changes in genes is one of the most practical options.
They found a way to raise DNMT3A with natural ingredients that donate methyl groups, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). To switch on the retinoic acid receptors, they injected the animals with vitamin A. This pairing worked well at reversing PTSD.
This is one of the first findings to show new treatments for PTSD using natural ingredients. Epigenetic treatments can change the root causes of a disorder. So such a treatment can cure PTSD, not just ease the symptoms. It could be one of the first treatments to give lasting relief to people living with PTSD. Paired with PTSD counseling, it could give the best results.
These nutritional ingredients are well known to science and are non-toxic. So supplements with these natural compounds can move quickly into clinical practice.
Frequently asked questions
What vitamins can help PTSD?
In this study, vitamin A was the one that mattered. It switches on retinoic acid receptors. Those receptors control an enzyme called DNMT3A, which runs low in animals prone to PTSD. Given with SAMe, vitamin A reversed PTSD signs in the animals. The work was done in mice. So it points the way for human treatment rather than proving it.
What is SAMe, and how could it help PTSD?
SAMe, short for S-adenosylmethionine, is a natural compound sold as a brain-health supplement. It donates methyl groups, the chemical tags DNMT3A uses to change which genes are active. In PTSD-prone mice, SAMe raised DNMT3A. Paired with vitamin A, it reversed PTSD signs. Both ingredients are well known to science and non-toxic. That is why researchers see a fast path to clinical use.
Why do some people get PTSD after trauma and others do not?
Personal sensitivity. Two people can live through the same trauma, and only one develops PTSD. Part of the difference is genetic. Part is epigenetic: trauma early in life can change how genes behave without changing the genes themselves. DNA from people living with PTSD shows these changes. In mice, the animals prone to PTSD had less of the enzyme DNMT3A than the resilient ones.
Can you change your genes to treat PTSD?
You cannot change the genes, but you can change how active they are. Injecting or editing genes is not an option in people. So researchers look for substances that shift gene activity instead. That is the logic behind SAMe and vitamin A. An epigenetic treatment aims at the root cause rather than masking symptoms. That is why it could give longer-lasting relief when paired with PTSD counseling.
Padda Institute for Pain Management offers the best treatment for PTSD. Our specialists have studied new treatments for PTSD along with the existing ones. We give you all the support you need.
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
