EZH2 Makes Distinguishing Aggressive Basal Cell Carcinoma Tumors EZerApril 21, 2016When it comes to the epigenetics of cancer, there isn’t much that’s easy when trying to understand what makes a tumor; but now a talented team from the University of Michigan has just made understating it all that much EZer. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in people of Caucasian descent. Most […]
“There is another” – N6-mA Described as a New Form of DNA MethylationApril 9, 2016In one of modern cinema’s greatest movies, Jedi Master Yoda proclaims “No…there is another…”. He was talking about the presumed existence of only one Jedi, much as many mammalian biologists speak about 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) as being the only type of DNA methylation. In a ground breaking new study, Andrew Z. Xiao (Yale School of Medicine, […]
Redefining Cancer and Stem Cell Reprogramming: Epigenetic Modulators, Modifiers, and MediatorsApril 9, 2016Back in 2006, Andrew Feinberg & Co. brought forth a review that pioneered the concept of tumor progenitor genes, which are genes involved in stem cell reprogramming and cancer. These tumor progenitor genes are epigenetically deregulated at the earliest stage of cancer. The epigenetic variation occurs before mutations, can be seen in normal tissue surrounding […]
Single-Molecule Imaging of 5hmC and 5mC Grabs the Bigger Picture with Less DNAApril 6, 2016We all know the old saying “Good things come in pairs”, and when you’re only examining one member of a dynamic duo, sometimes you can miss the key contribution of the trusty sidekick. Attesting to the above, a talented team from Stanford show off a clever new technique to simultaneously image 5mC and 5hmC on […]
Prenatal Exposure to Smoking is Associated with a Long-Term Mark on CpG MethylationApril 6, 2016Pregnancy is a sensitive period for a developing embryo/fetus where cues from the environment are incorporated into the epigenome where they can have long-term implications. While certain prenatal exposures, like alcohol and smoking, are well known to produce a number of negative health outcomes, they remain the largest cause of preventable birth defects and are […]
