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Epigenetics: a new frontier in pancreatic cancer research
Xia Wang, Hui Wang, Xiao Zhang
Xia Wang, Hui Wang, Xiao Zhang, Department of Gastroenterology, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang Province, China
Supported by: the Science and Technology Development Program of Hangzhou City, No. 20080333Q02.
Correspondence to: Xia Wang, Department of Gastroenterology, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang Province, China. wang78xia@hotmail.com
Received: January 2, 2010 Revised: March 12, 2010 Accepted: March 23, 2010 Published online: April 18, 2010
Pancreatic cancer is an epigenetic disease, as it is a genetic disease. Both genetic (at both the chromosomal and nucleotide levels) and epigenetic alterations (DNA methylation, histone acetylation and RNA interference) are involved in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. The detection and quantification of DNA methylation alterations in pancreatic juice is likely a promising tool for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Epigenetic alterations constitute attractive therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer. In this review, we briefly summarize recent research findings on epigenetic alterations in pancreatic cancer and discuss their biological and clinical implications.
Key Words: Pancreatic cancer; Epigenetics; DNA methylation; Histone modification
Citation: Wang X, Wang H, Zhang X. Epigenetics: a new frontier in pancreatic cancer research. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2010; 18(11): 1141-1146
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