Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2025

Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen for Unveiling Radiosensitive and Radioresistant Genes
Published on: May 23, 2025
Epigenetically programmed resistance to chemo- and immuno-therapies
Reddick R Walker1, Zainab Rentia2, Katherine B Chiappinelli1
1The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, DC, United States; Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Epigenetic alterations drive cancer growth and treatment resistance by changing gene expression. Targeting these epigenetic changes offers a promising strategy to overcome therapy resistance and improve cancer cures.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Epigenetics
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Cancer treatment resistance is a significant obstacle to developing cures.
- While combination chemotherapy and immunotherapies show promise, resistance mechanisms are not fully understood.
- Epigenetic dysregulation plays a crucial role in tumor progression and therapeutic resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize epigenetic remodeling during cancer progression and treatment.
- To explain how epigenetic changes promote cancer cell survival and evade therapy.
- To describe clinical strategies targeting epigenetic modifications to overcome resistance.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on epigenetics in cancer.
- Analysis of data linking epigenetic alterations to treatment resistance.
- Examination of clinical trials targeting epigenetic pathways.
Main Results:
- Epigenetic remodeling allows cancer cells to evade immune recognition.
- Tumor cells with altered epigenomes can resist apoptotic signals.
- Epigenetic changes enable cancer cells to repair DNA damage from chemotherapy.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic dysregulation is a key driver of cancer progression and treatment failure.
- Targeting epigenetic modifications presents a viable therapeutic strategy to enhance cancer treatment efficacy.
- Further research into epigenetic mechanisms can lead to novel approaches for overcoming cancer resistance.
More Related Videos
08:59Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down
Published on: December 11, 2017
08:46Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms
Published on: December 9, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Tumor Immunotherapy
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...