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Epigenetic Events in Lung Cancer

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Advances in Radiation Oncology in Lung Cancer

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Radiat Oncol))

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Abstract

The term epigenetics refers to the study of heritable and reversible changes in the genome that modulate gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. These mechanisms comprise the addition of methyl groups to a cytosine within a CpG dinucleotide, referred to as DNA methylation, posttranslational and covalent modifications of the histone proteins, and chromatin remodeling. The different epigenetic events elicit structural and functional changes within chromatin that determine many different cellular processes and response to environmental modifications through the control of gene expression. Abnormal epigenetic states can predispose to or cause human diseases, including cancer. In cancer cells, alterations in DNA methylation or genetic alterations in histone protein modifiers or in chromatin remodelers promote changes in the expression levels of important genes and genome instability, thus contributing to cancer development. In this chapter, the different epigenetic processes that are disrupted in cancer cells are described with special focus on the genetic abnormalities that disturb chromatin stability to promote lung cancer development.

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  1. Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona, Spain

    Octavio A. Romero & Montse Sanchez-Cespedes

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  1. Octavio A. Romero
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  2. Montse Sanchez-Cespedes
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Correspondence to Montse Sanchez-Cespedes .

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  1. School of Medicine, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia

    Branislav Jeremić

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Romero, O.A., Sanchez-Cespedes, M. (2022). Epigenetic Events in Lung Cancer. In: Jeremić, B. (eds) Advances in Radiation Oncology in Lung Cancer. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2022_299

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