Deregulation of Transcriptional Enhancers in Cancer

Cancers

Fatemeh Mirzadeh Azad¹  Yaser Atlasi² 

[1] Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy;Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7AE, UK;

关键词: enhancer;    cancer;    epigenetic;    stem cell;    plasticity;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cancers13143532

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Epigenetic regulations can shape a cell’s identity by reversible modifications of the chromatin that ultimately control gene expression in response to internal and external cues. In this review, we first discuss the concept of cell plasticity in cancer, a process that is directly controlled by epigenetic mechanisms, with a particular focus on transcriptional enhancers as the cornerstone of epigenetic regulation. In the second part, we discuss mechanisms of enhancer deregulation in adult stem cells and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as two paradigms of cell plasticity that are dependent on epigenetic regulation and serve as major sources of tumour heterogeneity. Finally, we review how genetic variations at enhancers and their epigenetic modifiers contribute to tumourigenesis, and we highlight examples of cancer drugs that target epigenetic modifications at enhancers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown