Epigenetics aids in the detection of prostate cancer
A study conducted in the US found that the epigenetic changes occurring in prostate cancer are similar in all of the patient’s metastatic tumours. The research result is expected to help differentiate between lethal and less malignant types of prostate cancer. The discovery was made at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the group of scientists also included FiDiPro Professor G. Steven Bova who continues his work at the University of Tampere.
The genome-wide analysis was conducted of 13 men who had died of metastatic prostate cancer and all their metastases were found to contain stable epigenetic ‘marks’. The study investigated the nuclear DNA methylation of the cancer cells that alter gene expression. A prevailing belief had been that the markers vary so much within each individual’s widespread cancers that they have little or no value in the prognosis of the severity of the disease. The epigenetic markers that were found change this preconception because the markers are similar in all of the patient’s metastases.
It is possible to distinguish the type and severity of the cancer more easily and arrive at the correct diagnosis earlier when the genetic and epigenetic changes brought by lethal cancer are known. The research findings will also eventually help the development of treatments that target the epigenetic changes.
The researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Professor Bova represent the expanding research field of epigenetics. The epigenetic molecular markers maintain cellular processes that regulate when and how the genes become activated. Mistakes in epigenetic processes are also known to trigger or fuel cancers, for example.
The research results were first reported by Johns Hopkins University. The research report was published in Science Translational Medicine in January 2013.
News source: Press release from Johns Hopkins University
