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Toxicoepigenomics and cancer: implications for screening.
1Methods and Technologies Branch, Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 4E102, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA, vermam@mail.nih.gov.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|November 26, 2014
Summary
Epigenetic mechanisms, not just genetics, explain how environmental exposures alter gene expression. Toxicoepigenomics studies how toxicants impact epigenomes, influencing cancer risk and individual susceptibility.
Area of Science:
- Environmental toxicology
- Epigenetics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Traditionally, genetic mutations were thought to drive environmentally induced gene expression changes.
- Epigenetic mechanisms offer an alternative explanation, particularly for toxicants that cause tumors without inducing mutations.
- The emerging field of toxicoepigenomics integrates epigenetics and toxicology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how environmental pollutants and toxicants alter epigenetic profiles.
- To discuss the role of epigenetics in individual susceptibility to environmentally induced diseases like cancer.
- To highlight the potential of toxicoepigenomics in identifying high-risk populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing high-throughput technologies to assess epigenomic profiling changes in response to toxins.
- Investigating the impact of environmental metals and toxicants on DNA methylation and histone modifications.
- Examining effects on enzymes critical for epigenetic regulation and posttranslational modifications.
Main Results:
- Environmental toxicants and pollutants demonstrably alter epigenetic patterns, including DNA methylation and histone modifications.
- Individual epigenomic backgrounds influence susceptibility to toxicant-induced diseases.
- These alterations contribute to the process of carcinogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic alterations are a significant mechanism by which environmental factors influence gene expression and disease development.
- Toxicoepigenomics provides a framework for understanding individual cancer risk related to environmental exposures.
- Further research is needed to address challenges and opportunities in screening high-risk populations.
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