Ghavifekr Fakhr Mehrdad, Farshdousti Hagh Majid, Shanehbandi Dariush, Baradaran Behzad
Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Genet Res Int. 2013;2013:317569. doi: 10.1155/2013/317569. Epub 2013 Dec 23.
Epigenetic modifications can affect the long-term gene expression without any change in nucleotide sequence of the DNA. Epigenetic processes intervene in the cell differentiation, chromatin structure, and activity of genes since the embryonic period. However, disorders in genes' epigenetic pattern can affect the mechanisms such as cell division, apoptosis, and response to the environmental stimuli which may lead to the incidence of different diseases and cancers. Since epigenetic changes may return to their natural state, they could be used as important targets in the treatment of cancer and similar malignancies. The aim of this review is to assess the epigenetic changes in normal and cancerous cells, the causative factors, and epigenetic therapies and treatments.
表观遗传修饰可在不改变DNA核苷酸序列的情况下影响长期基因表达。自胚胎期起，表观遗传过程就参与细胞分化、染色质结构及基因活性的调控。然而，基因表观遗传模式的紊乱会影响细胞分裂、凋亡以及对环境刺激的反应等机制，进而可能导致各种疾病和癌症的发生。由于表观遗传变化可能恢复到其自然状态，因此它们可作为癌症及类似恶性肿瘤治疗的重要靶点。本综述旨在评估正常细胞和癌细胞中的表观遗传变化、致病因素以及表观遗传疗法和治疗方法。
