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Genomic imprinting and cancer
J D Brenton1, S Viville, M A Surani
1Wellcome/CRC Institute, Cambridge.
Cancer Surveys
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Genomic imprinting is crucial for development, and its disruption causes similar phenotypes in mice and humans. Understanding imprinting
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Developmental Biology
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Genomic imprinting is essential for normal mammalian development.
- Disruption of imprinting mechanisms leads to conserved phenotypes across species.
- Imprinting errors are implicated in certain embryonal tumors and Wilms' tumor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of genomic imprinting in development and disease.
- To explore the mechanisms and implications of imprinting dysregulation.
- To highlight unanswered questions in the field of genomic imprinting.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of genomic imprinting research.
- Analysis of comparative phenotypes in mice and humans.
- Examination of evidence linking imprinting to embryonal tumors and Wilms' tumor.
Main Results:
- Disruption of imprinting on syntenic chromosomes results in similar phenotypes in mice and humans.
- Imprinting errors offer a potential explanation for preferential loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in some embryonal tumors.
- Specific imprinted genes' dysregulation is linked to the Wilms' tumor phenotype.
Conclusions:
- Further research is needed to fully understand genomic imprinting and its associated diseases.
- The establishment of imprints and higher control mechanisms beyond methylation require further investigation.
- The therapeutic potential and risk assessment applications of epigenetic modifications in imprinting remain to be determined.