DNA methylation and genomic imprinting: insights from cancer into epigenetic mechanisms.
Since the discovery of epigenetic alterations in cancer 20 years ago by Feinberg and Vogelstein, a variety of such alterations have been found, including global hypomethylation, gene hypomethylation and hypermethylation, and loss of imprinting (LOI). LOI may precede the development of cancer and may thus serve as a common marker for risk, but also as a model for understanding the developmental mechanism for normal imprinting.
Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1064 Ross, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. afeinberg@jhu.edu
Andrew P
AP
Feinberg
Hengmi
H
Cui
Rolf
R
Ohlsson
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*