title: Mining the epigenetic landscape of tissue polarity in search of new targets for cancer therapy.
abstract: The epigenetic nature of cancer encourages the development of inhibitors of epigenetic pathways. Yet, the clinical use for solid tumors of approved epigenetic drugs is meager. We argue that this situation might improve upon understanding the coinfluence between epigenetic pathways and tissue architecture. We present emerging information on the epigenetic control of the polarity axis, a central feature of epithelial architecture created by the orderly distribution of multiprotein complexes at cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix contacts and altered upon cancer onset (with apical polarity loss), invasive progression (with basolateral polarity loss) and metastatic development (with basoapical polarity imbalance). This information combined with the impact of polarity-related proteins on epigenetic mechanisms of cancer enables us to envision how to guide the choice of drugs specific for distinct epigenetic modifiers, in order to halt cancer development and counter the consequences of polarity alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences and Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, Lynn Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Atrian
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences and Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, Lynn Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
authors.forename: Sophie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lelièvre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D057225:Data Mining / Q000379:methods; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: DNA methylation; EZH2; basoapical polarity; cancer; epigenetic drug; epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; histone modification; tissue architecture