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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer
Published on: September 18, 2020
Epigenomics of human colon cancer
F Javier Carmona1, Manel Esteller
1Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), 08907 L'Hospitalet, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. mesteller@iconcologia.net
Abstract:
DNA methylation exerts critical effects on gene-expression regulation in normal cells, and alterations on the normal methylation patterns characterize, and likely contribute, to cancer development and progression. The complete understanding of the distinctiveness, role and dynamics of the cancer cell epigenome has been hindered so far by technical limitations, and new, whole-genome approaches are required. Here we review the methods that have permitted us glimpses of the colon cancer methylome and outline future directions that will eventually lead researchers to identify the altered epigenetic patterns in cancer cells.
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