DNA and histone methylation in gastric carcinogenesis

• Autor(a) principal: Calcagno, Danielle Queiroz [UNIFESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Gigek, Carolina Oliveira [UNIFESP], Chen, Elizabeth Suchi [UNIFESP], Burbano, Rommel Rodriguez, Cardoso Smith, Marilia de Arruda [UNIFESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNIFESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v19.i8.1182; http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/35986
• topic: Epigenetic; DNA methylation; Histone methylation; Gastric cancer; Gastric carcinogenesis

Epigenetic alterations contribute significantly to the development and progression of gastric cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Epigenetics refers to the number of modifications of the chromatin structure that affect gene expression without altering the primary sequence of DNA, and these changes lead to transcriptional activation or silencing of the gene. Over the years, the study of epigenetic processes has increased, and novel therapeutic approaches that target DNA methylation and histone modifications have emerged. A greater understanding of epigenetics and the therapeutic potential of manipulating these processes is necessary for gastric cancer treatment. Here, we review recent research on the effects of aberrant DNA and histone methylation on the onset and progression of gastric tumors and the development of compounds that target enzymes that regulate the epigenome. (C) 2013 Baishideng. All rights reserved.