Onkológia 6/2017

The role of epigenetic regulation in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Metastatic spread of cancer is among the most leading causes of cancer-associated morbidity and mortality. Presence of circulating tumour cells in peripheral blood of patients correlate with prognosis and are being used to monitor the response to treatment in breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered to be an event associated with metastasis and adoption of a stem cell phenotype by tumour cells. Cells undergoing EMT can acquire the capacity for self-renewal, re-differentiation, dormancy, active DNA repair, and drug resistance. From the molecular point of view, EMT is accompanied by the “switch” in gene expression of epithelial to mesenchymal proteins. To be able to extravasate and colonize at a secondary site and form micrometastases, dissemnianted tumour cells have to undergo reciprocal mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. Dynamic regulation of gene activities by complex interaction of various epigenetic mechanisms can therefore play key role in plasticity of EMT.

Keywords: circulating tumuor cells, epigenetics, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, DNA methylation, histone modifications