The discovery of effective biomarkers in cancer will have a significant impact on disease management. With the role of the blood-based prostate cancer biomarker PSA (prostate specific antigen) surrounded by controversy, new and more effective biomarkers of this leading cause of death in men are urgently needed. Epigenetic changes are closely linked to cancer and hold promise for prostate cancer diagnosis and management, conclude the authors of a meta-analysis published in The Prostate.
epigenetics archive.
Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive form of brain cancer, accounting for 20% of all tumours within the skull, and patients with tumours showing epigenetic silencing of the MGMT gene promoter seem to be more likely to respond to standard chemotherapeutic agents. MDxHealth has developed an MGMT epigenetic test and has signed an agreement with Celldex Therapeutics to use the test in a phase III trial of rindopepimut in brain cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most frequent cancer seen in men and is usually confirmed by a prostate tissue biopsy, a distressing and unpleasant procedure. Studies suggest that many men are subjected to repeat biopsies after an initial negative result because of a high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or other risk factors. Epigenetic changes could be used as biomarkers to spare men the repeated biopsies, reducing distress to patients and cutting costs for healthcare providers.
Epigenetic alterations – inherited alterations in genotype or phenotype other than changes in DNA sequence – are linked with cancer. In a paper published in Cancer Discovery, researchers have used epigenetic therapy to target non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by switching silenced genes back on.
It’s long been known that coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic position (SEP) has an impact on lifespan and health in adult life. However, recent research published in International Journal of Epidemiology suggests that it might also have an impact on our genes.
The iPad has become a good-looking ‘must have’ for business and leisure – and now it may be the next key tool for the genome engineer – the Center for Biomedical Informatics (CBMi) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has created the app Genome Wowser.
HowStuffWorks has a take on epigenetics.
There are many theories why obesity is increasing – the increasing caloric density of modern food, the lack of exercise, the gut microflora, air conditioning, the car culture, thrifty or drifty genes, or genetic disorders such as Prader-Willi syndrome. Research suggests that the mother’s diet during pregnancy could change the child’s DNA leading to future obesity.
