Dietary phytochemicals as epigenetic modifiers in cancer: Promise and challenges.
The influence of diet and environment on human health has been known since ages. Plant-derived natural bioactive compounds (phytochemicals) have acquired an important role in human diet as potent antioxidants and cancer chemopreventive agents. In past few decades, the role of epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs in the regulation of mammalian genome have been comprehensively addressed. Although the effects of dietary phytochemicals on gene expression and signaling pathways have been widely studied in cancer, the impact of these dietary compounds on mammalian epigenome is rapidly emerging. The present review outlines the role of different epigenetic mechanisms in the regulation and maintenance of mammalian genome and focuses on the role of dietary phytochemicals as epigenetic modifiers in cancer. Above all, the review focuses on summarizing the progress made thus far in cancer chemoprevention with dietary phytochemicals, the heightened interest and challenges in the future.
Department of Urology, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Eswar
E
Shankar
Department of Urology, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Rajnee
R
Kanwal
Department of Biology, School of Undergraduate Studies, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Mario
M
Candamo
Department of Urology, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Division of General Medical Sciences, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. Electronic address: sanjay.gupta@case.edu.
Sanjay
S
Gupta
D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004032:Diet; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D015398:Signal Transduction
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D064209:Phytochemicals
Cancer chemoprevention; DNA methylation; Dietary agents; Epigenetics; Histone modification; Plant polyphenols; microRNA