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Cancer Epigenetics for the 21st Century: What's Next?

Manel Esteller1

  • 1Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908 L'Hospitalet, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Genes & Cancer
|September 24, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Epigenetic alterations, including DNA hypomethylation and hypermethylation, are crucial in human diseases. Advances in technology now allow comprehensive analysis of these epigenetic changes and mutations in cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • Cancer Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Global DNA hypomethylation was discovered in human tumors in the 1980s.
  • CpG island promoter hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes was identified in cancer cells in the 1990s.
  • These discoveries highlighted the role of epigenetic disruption in human disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the advancements in understanding epigenetic contributions to human disease.
  • To highlight the impact of technological progress on epigenetic research.
  • To discuss the integration of multi-omics data in cancer research.

Main Methods:

  • Technological advancements enabling complete DNA methylomes, histonomes, and non-coding RNA transcriptomes.
  • Whole genome sequencing for identifying mutated epigenetic genes in neoplasia.
  • Bioinformatic tools for analyzing complex epigenetic data.

Main Results:

  • Comprehensive epigenetic profiling is now feasible across various biological settings and disorders.
  • Whole genome sequencing reveals an increasing number of mutated epigenetic genes in cancers.
  • Epigenetic data integration provides deeper insights into disease mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic disruption is a significant factor in human disease, particularly cancer.
  • Technological innovations have revolutionized the study of epigenetics.
  • Future research will likely focus on integrating multi-omics data and utilizing advanced bioinformatics to unravel complex epigenetic landscapes in disease.
Keywords:
DNA methylationcancerepigeneticshistonemicroRNA

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