Genomics and Proteomics

Cancer Epigenetics

Cancer epigenetics is the study of epigenetic mutations in the DNA of cancer cells that do not involve genetic sequence modification, but rather involves mutations in the way genetic code is expressed. Epigenetic processes are required to maintain normal tissue specific gene expression sequence and are essential for normal development. They may be equally important, or even more important, than the genetic mutation in a cell. Disruption of epigenetic processes in cancer, can lead to a loss of gene expression that occurs about 10 times by documentation rather than mutation.