title: Chromatin barcodes as biomarkers for melanoma.
abstract: The major barrier to effective cancer therapy is the presence of genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity within cancer cell populations that provides a reservoir of therapeutically resistant cells. As the degree of heterogeneity present within tumours will be proportional to tumour burden, the development of rapid, robust, accurate and sensitive biomarkers for cancer progression that could detect clinically occult disease before substantial heterogeneity develops would provide a major therapeutic benefit. Here, we explore the application of chromatin conformation capture technology to generate a diagnostic epigenetic barcode for melanoma. The results indicate that binary states from chromatin conformations at 15 loci within five genes can be used to provide rapid, non-invasive multivariate test for the presence of melanoma using as little as 200 μl of patient blood.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bastonini
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeznach
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Juszczyk
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corfield
authors.forename: Mehrnoush
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dezfouli
authors.forename: Nurfilza
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmat
authors.forename: Aimee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Womersley
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Aroul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramadass
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akoulitchev
authors.forename: Colin R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Goding
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D019295:Computational Biology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002843:Chromatin; D005819:Genetic Markers; C497234:MITF protein, human; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor
keywords: biomarker; chromatin conformation capture; epigentic; melanoma