title: Epigenetic regulation of cancer stem cell gene expression.
abstract: The concept of cancer as a stem cell disease has slowly gained ground over the last decade. A 'stem-like' state essentially necessitates that some cells in the developing tumor express the properties of remaining quiescent, self-renewing and regenerating tumors through establishment of aberrant cellular hierarchies. Alternatively, such capacities may also be reacquired through a de-differentiation process. The abnormal cellular differentiation patterns involved during either process during carcinogenesis are likely to be driven through a combination of genetic events and epigenetic regulation. The role(s) of the latter is increasingly being appreciated in acquiring the requisite genomic specificity and flexibility required for phenotypic plasticity, specifically in a context wherein genome sequences are not altered for differentiation to ensue. In this chapter, the recent advances in elucidating epigenetic mechanisms that govern the self-renewal, differentiation and regenerative potentials of cancer stem cells will be presented.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411 007, India, sabapat@nccs.res.in.
authors.forename: Sharmila A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bapat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones