Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Measurements of Physiological Stress Responses in C. Elegans
10:36

Measurements of Physiological Stress Responses in C. Elegans

Published on: May 21, 2020

13.9K

Epigenetic DNA methylation of antioxidative stress regulator NRF2 in human prostate cancer

Tin Oo Khor1, Francisco Fuentes1, Limin Shu1

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey.

Cancer Prevention Research (Philadelphia, Pa.)
|October 1, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Epigenetic changes like DNA methylation silence the NRF2 gene in prostate cancer. Restoring NRF2 through epigenetic drugs offers a potential new treatment strategy for this disease.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Epigenetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • NRF2 is a key regulator of antioxidant defense genes.
  • Its epigenetic control in prostate cancer remains unclear.
  • Previous studies indicated decreased Nrf2 expression via methylation in mouse models.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the epigenetic regulation of the human NRF2 gene promoter in prostate cancer.
  • To assess the impact of NRF2 promoter hypermethylation on its expression.
  • To explore the therapeutic potential of targeting epigenetic modifications for NRF2 restoration.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of NRF2 promoter CpG methylation in clinical prostate cancer samples and cell lines (MAQMA, bisulfite sequencing).
  • Immunohistochemical analysis of NRF2 expression in prostate cancer tissue microarrays.
  • Luciferase reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays to study transcriptional activity and histone modifications.

Main Results:

  • Three specific CpG sites in the NRF2 promoter were hypermethylated in prostate cancer tissues, correlating with disease progression.
  • NRF2 protein expression decreased with increasing prostate cancer stage.
  • Methylation inhibited NRF2 promoter activity, while epigenetic drug treatment (5-aza/TSA) restored NRF2 expression and downstream targets.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic modifications, particularly hypermethylation of the NRF2 promoter, play a significant role in regulating NRF2 transcription in prostate cancer.
  • NRF2 epigenetic silencing contributes to prostate cancer progression.
  • Targeting these epigenetic alterations presents a promising avenue for prostate cancer prevention and treatment.

More Related Videos

Sequencing Small Non-coding RNA from Formalin-fixed Tissues and Serum-derived Exosomes from Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Patients12:13

Sequencing Small Non-coding RNA from Formalin-fixed Tissues and Serum-derived Exosomes from Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Patients

Published on: November 19, 2019

5.8K
A Rat Methyl-Seq Platform to Identify Epigenetic Changes Associated with Stress Exposure09:06

A Rat Methyl-Seq Platform to Identify Epigenetic Changes Associated with Stress Exposure

Published on: October 24, 2018

9.8K

Related Concept Videos

Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
3.3K
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
28.5K
Nucleotide Excision Repair01:38

Nucleotide Excision Repair

DNA Distortion and Damage
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
4.5K
Nucleotide Excision Repair01:08

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Overview
33.4K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.0K