New insights in oncology: epigenetics and cancer stem cells

Cancer is a multi-etiologic, multistage disease with a prevalent genetic component, which happens when a large number of genes, critical for cell growth, death, differentiation, migration, and metabolic plasticity are altered irreversibly, so as to either "gain" (oncogenes) or "lose&q...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer radiothérapie 2011-12, Vol.15 (8), p.716-722
Main Authors: Krutovskikh, V, Partensky, C
Format: Article
Language:fre
Subjects:
Epigenesis, Genetic
Humans
Neoplasms - genetics
Neoplasms - radiotherapy
Neoplastic Stem Cells
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Cancer is a multi-etiologic, multistage disease with a prevalent genetic component, which happens when a large number of genes, critical for cell growth, death, differentiation, migration, and metabolic plasticity are altered irreversibly, so as to either "gain" (oncogenes) or "lose" (tumour suppressors) their function. Recent discoveries have revealed the previously underestimated etiologic importance of multiple epigenetic, that is to say, reversible factors (histone modifications, DNA methylation, non-coding RNA) involved in the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of proteins, indispensable for the control of cancerous phenotype. Stable alterations of epigenetic machinery ("epimutations") turn out to play a critical role at different steps of carcinogenesis. In addition, due to substantial recent progress in stem cell biology, the new concept of cancer stem cells has emerged. This, along with newly discovered epigenetic cancer mechanisms, gives rise to a hope to overcome radio- and chemo-resistance and to eradicate otherwise incurable neoplasms.
ISSN:1769-6658
DOI:10.1016/j.canrad.2011.05.012