Premium
Translational application of epigenetic alterations: Ovarian cancer as a model
Author(s) -
Maradeo Marie E.,
Cairns Paul
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2011.03.016
Subject(s) - epigenetics , biology , chromatin , ovarian cancer , dna methylation , histone , cancer , cancer epigenetics , cancer research , gene , epigenetic regulation of neurogenesis , genetics , computational biology , bioinformatics , chromatin remodeling , gene expression , histone methyltransferase
Cancer is a disease initiated and driven by the accumulation and interplay of genetic and epigenetic mutations of genes involved in the regulation of cell growth and signaling. Dysregulation of these genes and pathways in a cell leads to a growth advantage and clonal expansion. The epigenetic alterations involved in the initiation and progression of cancer are DNA methylation and histone modifications which interact to remodel chromatin, as well as RNA interference. These alterations can be used as candidate targets in molecular tests for risk, early detection, prognosis, prediction of response to therapy, and monitoring, as well as new therapeutic targets in cancer. In this review, we discuss the rationale, studies to date, and issues in the translational application of epigenetics using epithelial ovarian cancer as a specific example of all types of cancer.