Abstract
Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is one of the ten most frequent malignancies worldwide, characterized by a striking geographic variation in incidence. In North America and Europe, there has recently been a marked change in the epidemiology of this disease, where incidence rates for primary esophageal adenocarcinoma have increased in excess of any other human solid tumor. Although the reasons for this are largely unknown, several molecular genetic alterations have been associated with esophageal tumor progression. In recent years, epigenetic aberrations have been increasingly recognized as an important alternative mechanism of carcinogenesis and it is anticipated that substantial progress in the treatment of esophageal malignancy will likely only be made with a clearer understanding of esophageal tumor biology. Whereas genetic mutations, deletions, or allelic losses are fixed and irreversible, epigenetic abnormalities can potentially be corrected without interfering with the fundamental sequence of the target gene. Our current understanding of epigenetics in esophageal cancer, and the potential for targeted epigenetic therapy, will be the subject of this review.
Keywords: Epigenetics, DNA methylation, Histone modification, Genomic imprinting, Therapeutic targets, Esophageal cancer, Barrett esophagus
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title: Epigenetic Aberrations and Targeted Epigenetic Therapy of Esophageal Cancer
Volume: 8 Issue: 6
Author(s): Ronghua Zhao and Alan G. Casson
Affiliation:
Keywords: Epigenetics, DNA methylation, Histone modification, Genomic imprinting, Therapeutic targets, Esophageal cancer, Barrett esophagus
Abstract: Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is one of the ten most frequent malignancies worldwide, characterized by a striking geographic variation in incidence. In North America and Europe, there has recently been a marked change in the epidemiology of this disease, where incidence rates for primary esophageal adenocarcinoma have increased in excess of any other human solid tumor. Although the reasons for this are largely unknown, several molecular genetic alterations have been associated with esophageal tumor progression. In recent years, epigenetic aberrations have been increasingly recognized as an important alternative mechanism of carcinogenesis and it is anticipated that substantial progress in the treatment of esophageal malignancy will likely only be made with a clearer understanding of esophageal tumor biology. Whereas genetic mutations, deletions, or allelic losses are fixed and irreversible, epigenetic abnormalities can potentially be corrected without interfering with the fundamental sequence of the target gene. Our current understanding of epigenetics in esophageal cancer, and the potential for targeted epigenetic therapy, will be the subject of this review.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Zhao Ronghua and Casson G. Alan, Epigenetic Aberrations and Targeted Epigenetic Therapy of Esophageal Cancer, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2008; 8 (6) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800908785699306
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800908785699306 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Incorporation of Targeted Agents in the Management of Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer
Current Medicinal Chemistry Novel Concepts in the Development of Platinum Antitumor Drugs
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Cancer Agents Anti-Tumor Monoclonal Antibodies in Conjunction with β-Glucans: A Novel Anti- Cancer Immunotherapy
Current Medicinal Chemistry Research Progress of DCLK1 Inhibitors as Cancer Therapeutics
Current Medicinal Chemistry Alcohol and Smoking Mediated Oxidative Stress in Organ Toxicities: Role of Cytochrome P450 Systems
Mini-Reviews in Organic Chemistry Vascular and Metabolic Actions of the Green Tea Polyphenol Epigallocatechin Gallate
Current Medicinal Chemistry Microaspiration in Intubated Critically Ill Patients: Diagnosis and Prevention
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets Transductional and Transcriptional Targeting of Adenovirus for Clinical Applications
Current Gene Therapy Cancer Prevention with Promising Natural Products: Mechanisms of Action and Molecular Targets
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Clinical Analysis Methods of Voice Disorders
Current Bioinformatics Chemokine Like Receptor-1 (CMKLR-1) Receptor: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Management of Chemerin Induced Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design Comprehensive Review of Cancer Chemopreventive Agents Evaluated in Experimental Carcinogenesis Models and Clinical Trials
Current Medicinal Chemistry Clonetics
Current Drug Metabolism The Role for Oxidative Stress in Aberrant DNA Methylation in Alzheimer’s Disease
Current Alzheimer Research Wnt / β-Catenin Signaling Pathway as Novel Cancer Drug Targets
Current Cancer Drug Targets Recent Developments in Structural Proteomics: From Protein Identifications and Structure Determinations to Protein-Protein Interactions
Current Proteomics Recent Development in Applications of Important Biopolymer Chitosan in Biomedicine, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
Current Tissue Engineering (Discontinued) Emerging Therapies Targeting Tumor Vasculature in Multiple Myeloma and other Hematologic and Solid Malignancies
Current Cancer Drug Targets Glucose Oncometabolism of Esophageal Cancer
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry A Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor of FAK and IGF-1R Protein Interactions Decreases Growth of Human Esophageal Carcinoma
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry