TY - JOUR
T1 - Cancer epigenetics
T2 - Above and beyond
AU - Brait, Mariana
AU - Sidransky, David
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) SPORE program in Head and Neck Cancer Research grant number: P50 DE019032; and National Institute of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) grant number: U01-CA084986. The funding agencies had no role in the design of the study, data collection, analysis, interpretation of the results, preparation of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Under a licensing agreement between Oncomethylome Sciences, SA and the Johns Hopkins University, D.S. is entitled to a share of royalty received by the University upon sales of diagnostic products described in this article. D.S. owns Oncomethylome Sciences, SA stock, which is subject to certain restrictions under University policy. D.S. is a paid consultant to Oncomethylome Sciences, SA and is a paid member of the company’s Scientific Advisory Board. The Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict of interest policies is managing the terms of this agreement.
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - Epigenetics refers to the study of mechanisms that alter gene expression without altering the primary DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms are heritable and reversible. Over the last few decades, epigenetics has obtained a large importance in cancer research. Epigenetic alterations are widely described as essential players in cancer progression. They comprise DNA methylation, histone modifications, nucleosome positioning, and small, noncoding RNAs (miRNA, siRNA). They are involved in transcriptional changes and decisive events that will determine cell fate and phenotype. Epigenetics not only offers light into cancer biological processes, but also represents an attractive opportunity of reverting cancer-specific alterations, which may lead, in the future, to a possibility of stopping this disease. Epigenetic changes have been identified as putative cancer biomarkers for early detection, disease monitoring, prognosis, and risk assessment. Other epigenetic alterations are promising therapeutic targets and even therapeutic agents. Emerging discoveries in this area are already contributing to cancer management and monitoring, and a lot more progresses are expected in the future.
AB - Epigenetics refers to the study of mechanisms that alter gene expression without altering the primary DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms are heritable and reversible. Over the last few decades, epigenetics has obtained a large importance in cancer research. Epigenetic alterations are widely described as essential players in cancer progression. They comprise DNA methylation, histone modifications, nucleosome positioning, and small, noncoding RNAs (miRNA, siRNA). They are involved in transcriptional changes and decisive events that will determine cell fate and phenotype. Epigenetics not only offers light into cancer biological processes, but also represents an attractive opportunity of reverting cancer-specific alterations, which may lead, in the future, to a possibility of stopping this disease. Epigenetic changes have been identified as putative cancer biomarkers for early detection, disease monitoring, prognosis, and risk assessment. Other epigenetic alterations are promising therapeutic targets and even therapeutic agents. Emerging discoveries in this area are already contributing to cancer management and monitoring, and a lot more progresses are expected in the future.
KW - Cancer
KW - DNA methylation
KW - epigenetics
KW - histones modifications
KW - microRNA
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U2 - 10.3109/15376516.2011.562671
DO - 10.3109/15376516.2011.562671
M3 - Review article
C2 - 21495866
AN - SCOPUS:79954469878
SN - 1537-6516
VL - 21
SP - 275
EP - 288
JO - Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods
JF - Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods
IS - 4
ER -