The Role of Epigenetic Alterations in Cancer Development and Therapy

Abstract

Epigenetic mechanisms are responsible for normal development and normal tissue function in mammals. If these processes are faulty, they can modify gene control, resulting in abnormal cell growth, such as cancer. Maybe one of the primary defects of gene control is in cancer. Though cancer was previously widely thought to be the result of gene mutation, we now know that gene regulation defects and genetic changes are all crucial players in the initiation and progression of cancer. Recent studies into the field of epigenetics of cancer determine that various components of the gene expression system are dysregulated in cancer. They encompass how DNA becomes tagged, the structure of proteins on and around DNA, and the utilization of specific forms of RNA, specifically microRNAs. As they are reversible, a new and growing field of treatment has been discovered known as epigenetic therapy. Three drugs targeting epigenetic mechanisms have been FDA-approved for cancer treatment to date. This is an analysis of what we currently understand about how gene regulation varies in cancer versus normal cells, how these variations enable cancer growth, including the function of cancer stem cells, and how understanding it can be applied to create improved treatments.