Skip to main content

Epistatic Interaction

Meaning

Epistatic interaction is a fundamental genetic phenomenon where the effect of one gene’s variant (allele) on a phenotype is masked, modified, or otherwise influenced by a variant at a different gene locus. This interaction is non-additive, meaning the combined effect of the two genes is not simply the sum of their individual effects. In the context of hormonal health, epistatic interactions help explain why individuals with seemingly similar hormonal profiles or genetic risk factors can exhibit vastly different clinical outcomes or therapeutic responses.