An international team of scientists, including researchers from Moscow State University, Lomonosov, has identified a relationship between late paternal age and atypical nervous system development in offspring. The researchers describe a pattern in which children born to older fathers show differences in neural development compared to those born to younger fathers. While the work is presented as part of a broader effort to understand parental age effects, the central finding highlights a potential link between the age of the father at conception and neurological trajectories in the child’s early and later life.
Over time, mammalian sperm accumulate genetic and epigenetic changes that can influence the health and development of the next generation. Among these changes, DNA methylation—a chemical modification that governs how genes are turned on or off—can shift in regions of the genome that regulate the formation and maturation of the nervous system in an unborn child. As men age, certain methylation patterns may drift in ways that alter the expression of genes responsible for neural development, neuronal connectivity, and brain maturation processes. These alterations do not mutate the DNA sequence itself, but they can reshape how genetic information is read and applied during critical windows of development, potentially shaping neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring born to older fathers.
The researchers investigated the characteristics of epigenetic modifications present in the spermatozoa of aging fathers, focusing on mechanisms that influence gene regulation rather than changes in the nucleotide sequence. Epigenetic changes such as methylation, histone modification, and chromatin structure can switch genes on or off, or adjust the intensity of their activity, thereby modulating developmental programs in ways that may carry forward into a child’s nervous system. This line of study emphasizes that the problem lies not in new DNA mutations, but in altered patterns of gene regulation that accompany paternal aging and can steer developmental events in the embryo and fetus toward trajectories that differ from those associated with younger paternal ages.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to expand their investigations to map precisely how these epigenetic alterations in paternal sperm influence neurodevelopmental pathways in offspring, from early brain formation through later stages of cognitive and motor maturation. By integrating genomic, epigenomic, and phenotypic data, they aim to clarify the extent to which paternal age-related epigenetic marks contribute to neurological outcomes and to identify any potential windows for intervention or monitoring. Such work could inform public health discussions about paternal age and pregnancy planning, as well as guide future studies into prevention or mitigation strategies for neurodevelopmental risks associated with delayed paternity.
Across the spectrum of reproductive health, the emerging view is that a man’s health at the time of conception can leave subtle but meaningful traces on pregnancy outcomes. In this context, epigenetic mechanisms provide a plausible pathway by which paternal age may shape the nervous system of the next generation, underscoring the importance of considering paternal factors alongside maternal health when assessing risks and advising families about conception timing.