Division of Head and Neck Cancer Research, Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
Toxicol Mech Methods. 2011 May;21(4):275-88. doi: 10.3109/15376516.2011.562671.
Epigenetics refers to the study of mechanisms that alter gene expression without altering the primary DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms are heritable and reversible. Over the last few decades, epigenetics has obtained a large importance in cancer research. Epigenetic alterations are widely described as essential players in cancer progression. They comprise DNA methylation, histone modifications, nucleosome positioning, and small, noncoding RNAs (miRNA, siRNA). They are involved in transcriptional changes and decisive events that will determine cell fate and phenotype. Epigenetics not only offers light into cancer biological processes, but also represents an attractive opportunity of reverting cancer-specific alterations, which may lead, in the future, to a possibility of stopping this disease. Epigenetic changes have been identified as putative cancer biomarkers for early detection, disease monitoring, prognosis, and risk assessment. Other epigenetic alterations are promising therapeutic targets and even therapeutic agents. Emerging discoveries in this area are already contributing to cancer management and monitoring, and a lot more progresses are expected in the future.
表观遗传学是指研究在不改变 DNA 序列的情况下改变基因表达的机制。表观遗传机制是可遗传和可逆的。在过去的几十年中，表观遗传学在癌症研究中获得了很大的重视。表观遗传学改变被广泛描述为癌症进展的重要参与者。它们包括 DNA 甲基化、组蛋白修饰、核小体定位和小的非编码 RNA（miRNA、siRNA）。它们参与转录变化和决定性事件，这些事件将决定细胞命运和表型。表观遗传学不仅为癌症的生物学过程提供了启示，而且为逆转癌症特异性改变提供了一个有吸引力的机会，这可能导致未来有可能阻止这种疾病。表观遗传学改变已被确定为用于早期检测、疾病监测、预后和风险评估的潜在癌症生物标志物。其他表观遗传改变是有前途的治疗靶点，甚至是治疗剂。该领域的新发现已经有助于癌症的管理和监测，预计未来还会有更多的进展。
