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Methylation Modification, Alternative Splicing, and Noncoding RNA Play a Role in Cancer Metastasis through Epigenetic

Bin Yu1, Xin Yu2, Jianping Xiong2

  • 1Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330006, China.

Biomed Research International
|October 18, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Epigenetic alterations drive cancer metastasis, impacting patient survival. Targeting these epigenetic mechanisms offers promising new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Cancer metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related mortality.
  • Current molecular diagnosis and treatment for metastasis remain limited.
  • Epigenetic modifications are prevalent in cancers and crucial for tumor metastasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review key epigenetic regulatory molecules and their mechanisms in cancer metastasis.
  • To highlight emerging epigenetic therapies and diagnostic strategies for cancer metastasis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on epigenetic regulation in cancer metastasis.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone/RNA modification, alternative splicing, and noncoding RNAs.
  • Examination of current and emerging therapeutic strategies targeting epigenetic modifications.

Main Results:

  • Epigenetic regulation, encompassing DNA methylation, histone/RNA modifications, and noncoding RNAs, plays a critical role in promoting cancer metastasis.
  • Emerging epigenetic therapies targeting these modifications show promise for tumor treatment.
  • Monitoring serum DNA and targeting DNA/histone methylation are identified as potential diagnostic and therapeutic avenues.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic mechanisms are fundamental to cancer metastasis and represent a viable therapeutic target.
  • Novel strategies like serum DNA monitoring and targeted epigenetic therapies offer new hope for improved cancer prognosis and diagnosis.

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