Yang Mihi, Park Jong Y
Division of Cancer Prevention and Controls, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
Methods Mol Biol. 2012;863:67-109. doi: 10.1007/978-1-61779-612-8_5.
The prostate gland is the most common site of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Recent emerging molecular biological technologies help us to know that epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation within the regulatory (promoter) regions of genes are associated with transcriptional silencing in cancer. Promoter hypermethylation of critical pathway genes could be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. In this chapter, we updated current information on methylated genes associated with the development and progression of prostate cancer. Over 40 genes have been investigated for methylation in promoter region in prostate cancer. These methylated genes are involved in critical pathways, such as DNA repair, metabolism, and invasion/metastasis. The role of hypermethylated genes in regulation of critical pathways in prostate cancer is discussed. These findings may provide new information of the pathogenesis, the exciting potential to be predictive and to provide personalized treatment of prostate cancer. Indeed, some epigenetic alterations in prostate tumors are being translated into clinical practice for therapeutic use.
前列腺是美国男性中最常见的癌症发病部位，也是癌症死亡的第二大主要原因。最近新兴的分子生物学技术帮助我们了解到，基因调控（启动子）区域内的表观遗传改变，如DNA甲基化，与癌症中的转录沉默有关。关键通路基因的启动子高甲基化可能是前列腺癌的潜在生物标志物和治疗靶点。在本章中，我们更新了与前列腺癌发生和发展相关的甲基化基因的当前信息。已经对40多个基因在前列腺癌启动子区域的甲基化进行了研究。这些甲基化基因参与关键通路，如DNA修复、代谢和侵袭/转移。讨论了高甲基化基因在前列腺癌关键通路调控中的作用。这些发现可能为前列腺癌的发病机制提供新信息，具有预测和提供个性化治疗的令人兴奋的潜力。事实上，前列腺肿瘤中的一些表观遗传改变正在转化为临床治疗应用。
