Main principles and outcomes of DNA methylation analysis

Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, are critically important mediators of normal cell function over the course of our lives. These modifications therefore also can play prominent roles in the development of disorders and diseases, including ovarian cancer. Genome-wide studies are now beginning to comprehensively decipher the methylome in normal and diseased tissues and cells, providing new insights into the distribution, specificity, and magnitude of modifications that occur and raising questions about these changes at specific loci. Further study of these alterations in specific tissues usually involves targeted approaches, of which there are a number available, all with distinct advantages and disadvantages. Here we provide a brief overview of DNA methylation and some of the methylation alterations that have been identified in ovarian cancer, as well as some of the technical approaches used to study these modifications.