epigenetics in oncology

BACKGROUND: The current preoperative malignancy risk evaluation for thyroid nodules involves stepwise diagnostic modalities including ultrasonography, thyroid function serology and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytopathology, respectively. We aimed to substantiate the stepwise contributions of each diagnostic step and additionally investigate the diagnostic significance of quantitative chromogenic imprinted gene in-situ hybridization (QCIGISH)-an adjunctive molecular test based on epigenetic imprinting alterations...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In vitro models of pediatric brain tumors (pBT) are instrumental for better understanding the mechanisms contributing to oncogenesis and testing new therapies; thus, ideally, they should recapitulate the original tumor. We applied DNA methylation (DNAm) and copy number variation (CNV) profiling to characterize 241 pBT samples, including 155 tumors and 86 pBT-derived cell cultures, considering serum vs serum-free conditions, late vs early passages, and dimensionality (2D vs 3D cultures). We performed a t-SNE classification and identified differentially methylated regions in tumors compared to cell models...

Tumor microenvironment is an intricate web of stromal and immune cells creating an immune suppressive cordon around the tumor. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Tumor microenvironment is a formidable barrier towards novel immune therapeutic approaches recently evading the oncology field. In this study, the main aim was to identify the intricate immune evasion tactics mediated by HCC cells and to study the epigenetic modulation of the immune checkpoints; Programmed death-1 (PD-1)/ Programmed death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) and T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT)/Cluster of Differentiation 155 (CD155) at the tumor-immune synapse...

PURPOSE: Over the past several decades, numerous articles have been published on brainstem tumors. However, there has been limited bibliometric analysis in this field. Therefore, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to elucidate the evolution and current status of brainstem tumor research. METHODS: We retrieved 5525 studies published in English between 1992 and 2023 from the Web of Science Core Collection database. We employed bibliometric tools and VOSviewer to conduct the analysis...

Chromatin remodeling is a critical step in the DNA damage response, and the ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers are a group of epigenetic regulators that alter nucleosome assembly and regulate transcription factor accessibility to DNA, preventing genomic instability and tumorigenesis caused by DNA damage. The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex is one of them, and mutations in the gene encoding the SWI/SNF subunit are frequently found in digestive tumors. We review the most recent literature on the role of SWI/SNF complexes in digestive tumorigenesis, with different SWI/SNF subunits playing different roles...

BACKGROUND: Liver cancer has a high incidence and mortality rate worldwide, and there is an urgent need to identify new therapeutic strategies and predictive targets to improve the clinical outcomes of advanced liver cancer. Ferroptosis holds promise as a novel strategy for cancer therapy. Epigenetic dysregulation is a hallmark of cancer, and noncoding RNAs are tightly involved in cell fate determination. Therefore, we aimed to identify a novel ferroptosis regulator from aberrantly expressed microRNAs that may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for liver cancer...

Bacopa monnieri (L) Wettst, commonly known as Brahmi, stands as a medicinal plant integral to India's traditional medical system, Ayurveda, where it is recognized as a "medhya rasayana"-a botanical entity believed to enhance intellect and mental clarity. Its significant role in numerous Ayurvedic formulations designed to address conditions such as anxiety, memory loss, impaired cognition, and diminished concentration underscores its prominence. Beyond its application in cognitive health, Brahmi has historically been employed in Ayurvedic practices for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including arthritis...

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with metastasis significantly contributing to its lethality. The metastatic spread of tumor cells, primarily through the bloodstream, underscores the importance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in oncological research. As a critical component of liquid biopsies, CTCs offer a non-invasive and dynamic window into tumor biology, providing invaluable insights into cancer dissemination, disease progression, and response to treatment. This review article delves into the recent advancements in CTC research, highlighting their emerging role as a biomarker in various cancer types...

As a member of BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal) protein family, BRD4 (bromodomain‑containing protein 4) is a chromatin‑associated protein that interacts with acetylated histones and actively recruits regulatory proteins, leading to the modulation of gene expression and chromatin remodeling. The cellular and epigenetic functions of BRD4 implicate normal development, fibrosis and inflammation. BRD4 has been suggested as a potential therapeutic target as it is often overexpressed and plays a critical role in regulating gene expression programs that drive tumor cell proliferation, survival, migration and drug resistance...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

P300 and CBP are two closely related histone acetyltransferases that are important transcriptional coactivators of many cellular processes. Inhibition of the transcriptional regulator p300/CBP is a promising therapeutic approach in oncology. However, there are no reported single selective p300 or CBP inhibitors to date. In this study, we designed and optimized a series of lysine acetyltransferase p300 selective inhibitors bearing a nucleoside scaffold. Most compounds showed excellent inhibitory activity against p300 with IC50 ranging from 0...

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is a member of the MMP family and has been recently identified as a nuclear protease capable of clipping histone H3 N-terminal tails (H3NT). This MMP-9-dependent H3NT proteolysis is critical for establishing an active state of gene transcription during osteoclast differentiation and melanoma development. However, whether H3NT cleavage by MMP-9 plays a similar role in other cellular events has not been explored. Here, we dissect the functional contribution of MMP-9-dependent H3NT clipping to colonic tumorigenesis by using a combination of genome-wide transcriptome data, ChIP/ChIPac-qPCR, CRISPR/dCas9 gene-targeting system, and in vivo xenograft models...

Indeed, tumors are a significant health concern worldwide, and understanding the underlying mechanisms of tumor development is crucial for effective prevention and treatment. Epigenetics, which refers to changes in gene expression that are not caused by alterations in the DNA sequence itself, plays a critical role in the entire process of tumor development. It goes without saying that the effect of methylation on tumors is a significant aspect of epigenetics. Among the methylation modifications, DNA methylation is an important part, which plays a regulatory role in tumor-related genes...

Wnt-signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). sFRP1 is involved in the suppression of the Wnt-signaling pathway and has been shown to be epigenetically silenced by promoter hypermethylation during CML progression. DNMT3A plays a crucial role in promoter hypermethylation and is responsible for establishing methylation patterns. We aimed to analyze the relationship between sFRP1 expression and DNMT3A, TET1, TET2 and TET3 proteins that are responsible for maintaining cellular methylation patterns; along with miRNAs miR144-3p and miR-767-5p that are known to be associated with these proteins...

Altered lipid metabolism is a well-recognized feature of solid cancers, including colorectal cancer. In colorectal cancer, upregulation of lipid metabolism contributes to initiation, progression, and metastasis; thus, aberrant lipid metabolism contributes to a poor patient outcome. The inactivating mutation of APC , a vital tumor suppressor in the Wnt signaling pathway, is a key event that occurs early in the majority of colorectal cancer cases. The potential crosstalk between lipid metabolism and APC-driven colorectal cancer is poorly understood...

Sex differences are present across multiple non-reproductive organ cancers, with male individuals generally experiencing higher incidence of cancer with poorer outcomes. Although some mechanisms underlying these differences are emerging, the immunological basis is not well understood. Observations from clinical trials also suggest a sex bias in conventional immunotherapies with male individuals experiencing a more favourable response and female individuals experiencing more severe adverse events to immune checkpoint blockade...

BACKGROUNDDifferentiating malignant from nonmalignant body fluids remains a clinical challenge because of the unsatisfying performance of conventional cytology. We aimed to improve the sensitivity and ubiquity of cancer cell detection by assaying universal cancer-only methylation (UCOM) markers in supernatant cell-free DNA (cfDNA).METHODSAn observational prospective cohort including 1,321 nonmalignant and malignant body fluids of multiple cancers was used to develop and validate a cfDNA UCOM methylation diagnostic assay...

Precision oncology is driven by molecular biomarkers. For glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common malignant adult primary brain tumor, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase ( MGMT ) gene DNA promoter methylation is an important prognostic and treatment clinical biomarker. Time consuming pre-analytical steps such as biospecimen storage before fixing, sampling, and processing are major sources of errors and batch effects, that are further confounded by intra-tumor heterogeneity of MGMT promoter methylation...

BACKGROUND: Retrospective data suggest an association between bevacizumab efficacy and the incidence of arterial hypertension (AHT). Additionally, epigenetic mechanisms have been related to AHT. METHODS: This prospective observational study conducted by GEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Research Group included metastatic breast (MBC) or colorectal (mCRC) cancer patients treated with bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy as first-line treatment. Blood pressure (BP) levels were measured (conventional and 24-h Holter monitoring) at baseline and up to cycle 3...