Epigenetic Modifications in Breast Cancer and Their Role in Personalized Medicine

Epigenetic Modifications in Breast Cancer and Their Role in Personalized Medicine

• Olafur A. Stefansson
,
• Manel Esteller

Accepted 29 April 2013. published online 29 July 2013.
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In cancer, the overall patterns of epigenetic marks are severely distorted from the corresponding normal cell type. It is now well established that these changes can contribute to cancer development through inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and, conversely, through activation of oncogenes. Recent technological advances have enabled epigenome-wide analyses of cancers that are yielding unexpected findings. The study of cancer epigenetics holds great promise for expanding the range of therapeutic opportunities for personalized medicine. Here, we focus on DNA methylation in breast cancer and the potential implications for clinical management of patients.

 

 Supported by the Health and Science Departments of the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya). M.E. is an ICREA Research Professor.