Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer
07:50

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer

Published on: September 18, 2020

6.2K

How to stomach an epigenetic insult: the gastric cancer epigenome

Nisha Padmanabhan1, Toshikazu Ushijima2, Patrick Tan1,3,4,5,6

  • 1Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857 Singapore.

Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology & Hepatology
|May 18, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Gastric cancer epigenome research reveals epigenetic changes, like DNA methylation and histone modifications, drive cancer development. Understanding these alterations offers new precision treatment strategies for better patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Epigenetics
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer death globally, with poor survival rates attributed to late diagnosis and ineffective treatments.
  • Disease heterogeneity, including genetic and epigenetic variations, presents a major challenge for effective therapy.
  • Epigenetic alterations, potentially induced by pathogens like Helicobacter pylori, are implicated as early drivers of gastric carcinogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge of the gastric cancer epigenome.
  • To highlight recent advancements in understanding epigenetic hallmarks in tumors and pre-malignant lesions.
  • To connect epigenetic findings to potential therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of targeted and genome-wide technologies.
  • Focus on studies investigating DNA methylation patterns.
  • Analysis of histone modification data in gastric cancer.

Main Results:

  • Epigenetic abnormalities are active drivers of gastric carcinogenesis, not just passive bystanders.
  • Specific epigenetic profiles distinguish subgroups of gastric cancer.
  • Epigenetic changes occur early in the carcinogenic process, potentially preceding genetic mutations.

Conclusions:

  • The gastric cancer epigenome holds significant insights into disease mechanisms.
  • Understanding epigenetic aberrations can inform the development of precision treatment strategies.
  • Findings in gastric cancer epigenetics may have implications for other gastrointestinal cancers.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Advancing Early Detection and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors03:05

Author Spotlight: Advancing Early Detection and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors

Published on: February 16, 2024

1.6K
Author Spotlight: Genetic Profiling for Fluorouracil Response in Gastric Cancer06:21

Author Spotlight: Genetic Profiling for Fluorouracil Response in Gastric Cancer

Published on: May 10, 2024

1.3K

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...
4.0K
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.
34.1K
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
37.8K
Pathophysiology of Peptic Ulcer Disease: Injurious Factors01:22

Pathophysiology of Peptic Ulcer Disease: Injurious Factors

Peptic ulcers are sores on the stomach's inner lining and the upper small intestine, which are the result of disruptions in the mucosal layer that houses parietal cells which produce gastric acid, and chief cells which secrete pepsinogen.
In the antrum region, G cells secrete the gastrin hormone that binds to gastrin-cholecystokinin-B (CCK2) receptors on parietal and enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells in the fundic glands. Simultaneously, the vagus nerve releases acetylcholine, which binds...
1.4K
Gastritis-II: Pathophysiology01:17

Gastritis-II: Pathophysiology

Gastritis is marked by disruption of the mucosal barrier that usually protects the stomach tissue from digestive juices and manifests in acute and chronic forms.
In acute gastritis, the gastric mucosa becomes swollen and red and undergoes superficial erosion. Superficial ulceration may lead to bleeding.
In chronic gastritis, persistent or repeated insults lead to chronic inflammatory changes and, eventually, thinning or atrophy of the gastric tissue.
Gastritis can stem from various causes, each...
1.5K
Mucosal Barrier of the Stomach01:25

Mucosal Barrier of the Stomach

The gastric glands contain parietal cells that secrete hydrochloric acid (HCl) for digestion. The cells secrete HCl because it is highly corrosive and essential for breaking down food. To achieve this, they secrete hydrogen and chloride ions into the lumen of the gastric glands, which combine to form HCl.
Within parietal cells, carbonic acid is first formed through the reaction of water and carbon dioxide. The dissociation of carbonic acid releases bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. The bicarbonate...
2.6K