Epigenetic alterations in gastric carcinogenesis.
Gastric cancer is believed to result in part from the accumulation of multiple genetic alterations leading to oncogene overexpression and tumor suppressor loss. Epigenetic alterations as a distinct and crucial mechanism to silence a variety of methylated tissue-specific and imprinted genes, have been extensively studied in gastric carcinoma and play important roles in gastric carcinogenesis. This review will briefly discuss the basic aspects of DNA methylation and CpG island methylation, in particular the epigenetic alterations of certain critical genes implicated in gastric carcinogenesis and its relevance of clinical implications.
Choi
In Seon
IS
Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA.
Wu
Tsung Teh
TT
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D015197:Carcinogenicity Tests; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*