School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Cancer Med. 2024 Jul;13(13):e7470. doi: 10.1002/cam4.7470.
Identifying reliable biomarkers that reflect cancer survivorship symptoms remains a challenge for researchers. DNA methylation (DNAm) measurements reflecting epigenetic changes caused by anti-cancer therapy may provide needed insights. Given lack of consensus describing utilization of DNAm data to predict survivorship issues, a review evaluating the current landscape is warranted.
Provide an overview of current studies examining associations of DNAm with survivorship burdens in cancer survivors.
A literature review was conducted including studies if they focused on cohorts of cancer survivors, utilized peripheral blood cell DNAm data, and evaluated the associations of DNAm and survivorship issues.
A total of 22 studies were identified, with majority focused on breast (n = 7) or childhood cancer (n = 9) survivors, and half studies included less than 100 patients (n = 11). Survivorship issues evaluated included those related to neurocognition (n = 5), psychiatric health (n = 3), general wellness (n = 9), chronic conditions (n = 5), and treatment specific toxicities (n = 4). Studies evaluated epigenetic age metrics (n = 10) and DNAm levels at individual CpG sites or regions (n = 12) for their associations with survivorship issues in cancer survivors along with relevant confounding factors. Significant associations of measured DNAm in the peripheral blood samples of cancer survivors and survivorship issues were identified.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Studies utilizing epigenetic age metrics and differential methylation analysis demonstrated significant associations of DNAm measurements with survivorship burdens. Associations were observed encompassing diverse survivorship outcomes and timeframes relative to anti-cancer therapy initiation. These findings underscore the potential of these measurements as useful biomarkers in survivorship care and research.
识别反映癌症生存者症状的可靠生物标志物仍然是研究人员面临的挑战。反映抗癌治疗引起的表观遗传变化的 DNA 甲基化 (DNAm) 测量可能提供所需的见解。鉴于缺乏描述利用 DNAm 数据预测生存问题的共识,有必要对当前的研究进行综述。
概述目前研究中 DNAm 与癌症幸存者生存负担之间关联的研究。
进行了文献综述,纳入的研究如果聚焦于癌症幸存者队列、使用外周血细胞 DNAm 数据、并评估 DNAm 与生存问题的关联,则符合纳入标准。
共确定了 22 项研究,其中大多数研究聚焦于乳腺癌(n = 7)或儿童癌症(n = 9)幸存者,半数研究纳入的患者少于 100 名(n = 11)。评估的生存问题包括与神经认知(n = 5)、精神健康(n = 3)、整体健康(n = 9)、慢性疾病(n = 5)和特定治疗毒性(n = 4)相关的问题。研究评估了表观遗传年龄指标(n = 10)和单个 CpG 位点或区域的 DNAm 水平(n = 12)与癌症幸存者生存负担以及相关混杂因素的关联。在癌症幸存者的外周血样本中测量到的 DNAm 与生存问题存在显著关联。
讨论/结论:利用表观遗传年龄指标和差异甲基化分析的研究表明,DNAm 测量与生存负担之间存在显著关联。观察到的关联涵盖了与抗癌治疗开始相关的各种生存结局和时间范围。这些发现强调了这些测量作为生存护理和研究中有用生物标志物的潜力。