From histones to RNA: role of methylation in cancer

Cancer results from abnormal gene expression that transforms cellular identity. A rising consensus is that genetic mutations and epigenetic alterations act in concert to achieve tumorigenesis. On one hand, cancer cells harbor classic genetic mutations that activate oncogenes and inhibit tumor suppressors. On the other hand, they also display broad alterations of their epigenomes, as defined by modifications of DNA, histones and coding/noncoding RNAs. In particular, methylation is a ubiquitous modification that affects several residues/sites in these molecules. In this review, I will discuss the central role of this modification in the regulation of gene expression, its alterations in cancer as well as its possible targeting for cancer therapies.