title: Global DNA hypomethylation in cancer: review of validated methods and clinical significance.
abstract: Abstract DNA methylation is one of the best-known epigenetic modifications in mammals. The alteration of DNA methylation patterns has been found to be related to many diseases, including cancer. It is well-known that during carcinogenesis, a site-specific DNA hypermethylation and a global DNA hypomethylation take place. This overall loss of DNA methylation has been proposed as a valid biomarker for cancer. Given its medical utility, in recent years it has become apparent that there is a need to develop methods for the analysis of DNA methylation using different approaches: global, locus-specific, or genome-wide. Here we review some of these techniques and discuss their potential clinical utility.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), HUCA, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Estela G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Toraño
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petrus
authors.forename: Agustin F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Mario F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fraga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods*; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results