Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Evaluating the Effect of SASP Factors on the Proliferation of Cancer Cells Using a Comparative Analysis of Three Distinct Methodologies
Published on: September 19, 2025
Ageing and cancer as diseases of epigenesis
1Martin Laboratories of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA. sgilber1@swarthmore.edu
Abstract:
Cancer and ageing are often said to be diseases of development. During the past fifty years, the genetic components of cancer and ageing have been intensely investigated since development, itself, was seen to be an epiphenomenon of the genome. However, as we have learned more about the expression of the genome, we find that differences in expression can be as important as differences in alleles. It is easier to inactivate a gene by methylation than by mutation, and given that appropriate methylation is essential for normal development, one can immediately see that diseases would result as a consequence of inappropriate epigenetic methylation. While first proposed by Boris Vanyushin in 1973, recent studies have confirmed that inappropriate methylation not only causes diseases, and it also may be the critical factor in ageing and cancers.
Related Concept Videos
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic Regulation
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Replicative Cell Senescence

