Epigenetische processen in de maligne ontaarding: de rol van DNA-methylering in het ontstaan van kanker

- Defects in DNA that activate oncogenes or inactivate tumour-suppressor genes are regarded as a crucial step in tumour development.

- Understanding the processes that modulate gene activity, the so-called epigenetic processes, is gaining importance in the search for factors responsible for uncontrolled cell growth.

- Cell proliferation is determined by epigenetic and genetic processes.

- Abnormal patterns of methylation and other epigenetic processes, such as acetylation, nucleosome formation and compact chromatin structure, can suppress transcription and inactivate tumour-suppressor genes.

- Methylation status is a promising biomarker for malignancy because the process is not patient-specific, it occurs at an early stage of tumour development and may precede morphological changes.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2007;151:907-13