Research advances on epigenetics and cancer metabolism

Epigenetics concerns gene regulatory mechanisms beyond DNA sequence，such as DNA methylation，histone modification，chromatin remodeling，and non-coding RNA. Epigenetic mechanisms play a key role in development，cell fate decision and tumorigenesis. Chromatin modifications and its high order structure across our genome are major forms of epigenetic information，and its establishment and maintenance are closely related to cell metabolism. Metabolic changes in cancer cells include aerobic glycolysis，increased glucose uptake，abnormally active glutamine metabolism，and the use of non-conventional energy supply. These changes meet the vigorous energy and matter needs for the development and spread of cancer，and help tumor cells adapt to hypoxia microenvironment for their survival，proliferation，invasion and migration. There is a complex relationship between epigenetic modifications and cell metabolism in tumor. On the one hand，metabolites in tumor cells may act as cofactors，modification donors or antagonists of epigenetic enzymes，thus modulating the epigenetic landscape. On the other hand，epigenetic modifications can directly regulate the expression of metabolic enzymes，transporters，signaling pathway and transcription factors to affect cell metabolism. This article reviews the crosstalk between epigenetics and cancer metabolism，to explore their potential future applications in the treatment of tumors.