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Review
. 2019 Feb;23(1):83-95.
doi: 10.1007/s40291-018-0371-7.

Prognostic and Predictive Epigenetic Biomarkers in Oncology

Katarzyna Kamińska  1   2 , Ewelina Nalejska  1   2 , Marta Kubiak  1   2 , Joanna Wojtysiak  1   2 , Łukasz Żołna  2 , Janusz Kowalewski  2 , Marzena Anna Lewandowska  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Prognostic and Predictive Epigenetic Biomarkers in Oncology

Katarzyna Kamińska et al. Mol Diagn Ther. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Epigenetic patterns, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, can be both driver factors and characteristic features of certain malignancies. Aberrant DNA methylation can lead to silencing of crucial tumor suppressor genes or upregulation of oncogene expression. Histone modifications and chromatin spatial organization, which affect transcription, regulation of gene expression, DNA repair, and replication, have been associated with multiple tumors. Certain microRNAs (miRNAs), mainly those that silence tumor suppressor genes and occur in a greater number of copies, have also been shown to promote oncogenesis. Multiple patterns of these epigenetic factors occur specifically in certain malignancies, which allows their potential use as biomarkers. This review presents examples of tests for each group of epigenetic factors that are currently available or in development for use in early cancer detection, prediction, prognosis, and response to treatment. The availability of blood-based biomarkers is noted, as they allow sampling invasiveness to be reduced and the sampling procedure to be simplified. The article stresses the role of epigenetics as a crucial element of future cancer diagnostics and therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Katarzyna Kamińska, Ewelina Nalejska, Marta Kubiak, Joanna Wojtysiak, Łukasz Żołna, Janusz Kowalewski, and Marzena Anna Lewandowska have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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