Schulz Wolfgang A, Goering Wolfgang
Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany.
Epigenomics. 2016 Oct;8(10):1415-1428. doi: 10.2217/epi-2016-0064. Epub 2016 Sep 14.
DNA methylation alterations are common in urothelial carcinoma, a prevalent cancer worldwide caused predominantly by chemical carcinogens. Recent studies have proposed sets of hypermethylated genes as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers from urine or tissue samples, which require validation. Other studies have revealed intriguing links between specific carcinogens and DNA methylation alterations in cancer tissues or blood that might clarify carcinogenesis mechanisms and aid prevention. Like DNA methylation alterations, mutations in chromatin regulators are frequent, underlining the importance of epigenetic changes. However, the relations between the two changes and their functions in urothelial carcinogenesis remain unclear. Transcription factor genes with altered methylation deserve particular interest. Elucidating the functional impact of methylation changes is a prerequisite for their therapeutic targeting.
DNA甲基化改变在尿路上皮癌中很常见，尿路上皮癌是一种在全球范围内普遍存在的癌症，主要由化学致癌物引起。最近的研究提出了一组高甲基化基因，作为来自尿液或组织样本的有前景的诊断和预后生物标志物，这些标志物需要进行验证。其他研究揭示了特定致癌物与癌组织或血液中DNA甲基化改变之间的有趣联系，这可能有助于阐明致癌机制并促进预防。与DNA甲基化改变一样，染色质调节因子的突变也很常见，这突出了表观遗传变化的重要性。然而，这两种变化之间的关系及其在尿路上皮癌发生中的功能仍不清楚。甲基化改变的转录因子基因值得特别关注。阐明甲基化变化的功能影响是对其进行治疗靶向的先决条件。
