The lessons of cancer biology

The genetic cause of disease is often the result of a change or mutation in the genetic material or the DNA. Every human cell contains around 3 billion units of DNA, called base pairs, which need to be packaged efficiently inside a tiny nucleus. This is achieved by winding of the double stranded DNA around a core of proteins, called histones, that package the genetic material into units, called nucleosomes.

Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression in the normal and cancer cell that result without an underlying change in the sequence of DNA.

Epigenetic changes can be brought about by DNA methylation, biochemical modification of histones, remodeling of nucleosomes and silencing of gene expression by microRNAs.

It is well known that cancers show aberrant expression of genes, the so-called cancer epigenome, as a result of mutations of genes, deletions or translocations of huge regions of the genome, or by involving the epigenetic mechanisms listed above.

Silencing or reactivation of genes by modifying the epigenome is therefore yet another strategy to treat cancers. Cutting-edge research at The MCG Cancer Center is focused on developing cancer treatment strategies using drugs that have the potential to correct the aberrant epigenome.

• Learn more about the researchers in genomics and epigenomics.
• Shared Genomics and Microarray Resource

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