Epigenetic Gene Regulation by Dietary Compounds in Cancer Prevention

Traditionally, cancer has been viewed as a set of diseases that are driven by the accumulation of genetic mutations, but we now understand that disruptions in epigenetic regulatory mechanisms are prevalent in cancer as well. Unlike genetic mutations, however, epigenetic alterations are reversible, making them desirable therapeutic targets. The potential for diet, and bioactive dietary components, to target epigenetic pathways in cancer is now widely appreciated, but our understanding of how to utilize these compounds for effective chemopreventive strategies in humans is in its infancy. This review provides a brief overview of epigenetic regulation and the clinical applications of epigenetics in cancer. It then describes the capacity for dietary components to contribute to epigenetic regulation, with a focus on the efficacy of dietary epigenetic regulators as secondary cancer prevention strategies in humans. Lastly, it discusses the necessary precautions and challenges that will need to be overcome before the chemopreventive power of dietary-based intervention strategies can be fully harnessed.