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Epigenetic basis and targeting of cancer metastasis

Rakesh Banerjee1, Jim Smith1, Michael R Eccles1

  • 1Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.

Trends in Cancer
|December 25, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Epigenetic mechanisms are key drivers of cancer metastasis, a major cause of cancer deaths. New epigenomic editing tools like CRISPR allow scientists to study and potentially target these epigenetic changes for better cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Epigenetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Metastatic disease significantly impacts cancer patient survival, contributing to most cancer-related deaths.
  • The metastatic cascade involves complex molecular events beyond genetic mutations, with epigenetic regulation playing a crucial role.
  • Traditional treatments and clinical management have limited success in combating metastatic disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of epigenetic mechanisms in driving cancer metastasis.
  • To explore advancements in technologies for investigating epigenomic alterations.
  • To highlight the potential clinical applications of epigenomic editing in cancer management.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current scientific literature on epigenetics and cancer metastasis.
  • Discussion of emerging epigenomic investigation technologies.
  • Exploration of CRISPR-based epigenomic editing tools and their applications.

Main Results:

  • Epigenetic regulatory mechanisms are increasingly recognized as critical drivers of successful metastasis.
  • CRISPR-based epigenomic editing offers a powerful approach to study locus-specific epigenetic alterations.
  • These technologies hold promise for developing novel therapeutic strategies against metastatic cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic modifications are central to the metastatic process and represent a viable therapeutic target.
  • Advancements in epigenomic editing technologies are revolutionizing the study of cancer metastasis.
  • Targeting epigenetic mechanisms via editing holds significant potential for improving clinical outcomes in metastatic cancer patients.
Keywords:
CRISPRcancer metastasisepigenetic dysregulationepigenetic editing

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