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Epigenetic Regulation

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...

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic Regulation

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...

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Related Experiment Video

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Investigation of the Transcriptional Role of a RUNX1 Intronic Silencer by CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

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Epigenetic noise fuels cancer evolution.

Charles Swanton¹, Stephan Beck²

¹Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, London WC2A 3LY, UK; UCL Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6BT, UK.

|December 10, 2014

Summary

Cancer evolution involves genomic and epigenomic changes. New research highlights locally disordered DNA methylation as a key factor in the cancer epigenome

Area of Science:

Oncology
Genomics
Epigenetics

Background:

Cancer is fundamentally a disease driven by alterations in the genome and epigenome.
Previous research established genomic changes like mutations and copy number variations as drivers of cancer evolution.
The epigenome, which controls gene expression without altering DNA sequence, plays a critical role in cancer development.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of epigenomic changes in cancer evolution.
To identify specific epigenomic alterations that contribute to the trajectory of cancer development.
To explore the significance of DNA methylation patterns in the context of cancer genomics.

Main Methods:

Analysis of genomic and epigenomic data from cancer samples.

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Focus on identifying patterns of DNA methylation.

Utilizing computational methods to analyze locally disordered methylation patterns.

Main Results:

Genomic alterations are established drivers of cancer evolution.
Epigenomic changes, particularly locally disordered DNA methylation, are identified as significant contributors to cancer's evolutionary path.
The study by Landau and colleagues provides new insights into the epigenomic landscape of cancer.

Conclusions:

Epigenomic modifications, specifically disordered DNA methylation, are integral to cancer evolution alongside genomic changes.
Understanding these epigenomic alterations is crucial for a comprehensive view of cancer development.
This research expands the understanding of cancer as a complex disease involving both genetic and epigenetic factors.