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Author Spotlight: Reprogramming Cancer Cells to iPSCs to Study Disease Progression and Treatment Targets
07:08

Author Spotlight: Reprogramming Cancer Cells to iPSCs to Study Disease Progression and Treatment Targets

Published on: February 2, 2024

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Epigenetic reprogramming in cancer: From diagnosis to treatment

Pedro Mikael da Silva Costa1,2, Sarah Leyenne Alves Sales1,3, Daniel Pascoalino Pinheiro4

  • 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
|March 3, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Cancer epigenetics involves DNA methylation and histone changes, driving tumor growth and resistance. Epigenetic therapies offer a promising strategy to reverse these alterations for effective cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Epigenetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cancer is characterized by disruptions in the epigenetic program of gene expression.
  • Altered DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA (ncRNA) expression are key features of cancer cells.
  • Dynamic epigenetic changes contribute to tumor heterogeneity, self-renewal, and differentiation, leading to cancer stem cell phenotypes and treatment resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight significant epigenetic alterations in cancer.
  • To explore the potential of epigenetic modifications as biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis.
  • To review approved epigenetic therapies for cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on epigenetic alterations in cancer.
  • Analysis of the role of epigenetic changes in tumorigenesis and cancer stem cell biology.
  • Compilation of information on epigenetic therapies and their clinical applications.

Main Results:

  • Epigenetic dysregulation, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, is central to cancer initiation and progression.
  • Aberrant epigenetic reprogramming contributes to cancer stem cell characteristics, posing challenges in treatment and drug resistance.
  • Epigenetic modifications show potential as biomarkers for early cancer detection.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic alterations are fundamental to cancer development and progression.
  • Targeting epigenetic modifiers offers a promising therapeutic avenue, with reversible modifications enabling potential restoration of the normal epigenome.
  • Epigenetic therapies, used alone or in combination with other treatments like immunotherapy, represent a significant advancement in cancer treatment strategies.
Keywords:
DNA methylationcancerepidrugsepigenetic reprograminghistone modificationsnon-coding RNAs

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