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Epigenetic Regulation of microRNA Genes in Colorectal Cancer

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MicroRNA in Development and in the Progression of Cancer

Abstract

DNA methylation and histone modification are epigenetic changes that play key roles in the dysregulation of tumor-related genes, thereby affecting numerous cellular processes, including cell proliferation, cell adhesion, apoptosis, and metastasis. In recent years, studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), and that epigenetic mechanisms are deeply involved in their dysregulation. Specifically, technological advances that enable comprehensive analysis of miRNA expression profiles and the epigenome in CRC cells have led to the identification of a large number of epigenetically regulated miRNAs. As with protein-coding genes, it appears that miRNA genes involved in regulating cancer-related pathways are silenced in association with CpG island hypermethylation and altered histone modification. Aberrant DNA methylation of miRNA genes is a potentially useful biomarker for detecting CRC or predicting its outcome. Moreover, re-expression of the miRNAs could be an effective approach to cancer therapy, and unraveling the relationship between epigenetic alteration and miRNA dysregulation may lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. William Goldman for editing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, Sapporo Medical University, S1 W17, Chuo-Ku, 060-8556, Sapporo, Japan

    Hiromu Suzuki MD, PhD, Eiichiro Yamamoto & Reo Maruyama

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  1. Hiromu Suzuki MD, PhD
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  2. Eiichiro Yamamoto
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  3. Reo Maruyama
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Correspondence to Hiromu Suzuki MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Cancer Institute Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Frederick, Maryland, USA

    Shree Ram Singh

  2. UMDNJ-NJ Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA

    Pranela Rameshwar

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Suzuki, H., Yamamoto, E., Maruyama, R. (2014). Epigenetic Regulation of microRNA Genes in Colorectal Cancer. In: Singh, S., Rameshwar, P. (eds) MicroRNA in Development and in the Progression of Cancer. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8065-6_11

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