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Updated: Oct 5, 2025
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An Integrated Platform for Genome-wide Mapping of Chromatin States Using High-throughput ChIP-sequencing in Tumor Tissues
Published on: April 5, 2018
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Roadmap on plasticity and epigenetics in cancer.
Jasmine Foo1, David Basanta2, Russell C Rockne3
1School of Mathematics, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN 55455, United States of America.
Physical Biology
|January 25, 2022
Summary
This study explores cancer evolution, focusing on non-genetic plasticity and epigenetics. It outlines mathematical and experimental strategies to understand how these factors influence tumor development and treatment response.
Area of Science:
- Cancer Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Computational Biology
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Recent technological advances, including single-cell sequencing, have highlighted the significance of plasticity and epigenetics in cancer evolution.
- Understanding non-genetic plasticity is crucial for deciphering cancer's complex evolutionary dynamics and response to therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a roadmap of state-of-the-art mathematical and experimental approaches for interrogating cancer plasticity.
- To address key questions regarding the integration of non-genetic plasticity with mutation-driven evolution, the role of the microenvironment, and experimental/mathematical methodologies.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of current mathematical and experimental techniques applicable to cancer plasticity research.
- Discussion of single-cell sequencing and other advanced technologies for studying cellular heterogeneity and evolution.
- Exploration of computational modeling approaches to integrate diverse data types and understand plasticity mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Identifies the need for overarching frameworks to unify non-genetic plasticity and somatic evolution.
- Highlights the critical, yet complex, role of the tumor microenvironment in modulating non-genetic plasticity.
- Proposes experimental strategies and suitable mathematical techniques for studying non-genetic plasticity in cancer.
Conclusions:
- Integrating non-genetic plasticity into cancer evolution models is essential for a comprehensive understanding.
- Further development of experimental and mathematical tools is required to fully elucidate the role of plasticity in cancer.
- Understanding cancer plasticity has significant implications for developing novel therapeutic strategies and improving patient outcomes.
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