Cancer Cells Keep Their Methylome Options OpenJuly 6, 2011As new research finds tumor cells don’t like to be tied to just one methylation pattern, they prefer a variety. In fact, that variation within tumors gives cells a big leg-up in challenging environments, and possibly even helps them avoid detection and treatment. Building on their earlier work on CpG shores and stochastic variation, the […]
Foursome of DNA Methylation Subgroups Found in Colorectal CancerJune 16, 2011As if one kind of colorectal cancer (CRC) isn’t bad enough, new research has uncovered four DNA methylation-based versions of the insidious disease. Our So-Cal neighbors, Toshinori Hinoue and Daniel Weisenberger and team over at the USC Epigenome Center cranked out genome-scale DNA methylation profiles for 125 colorectal tumor and 29 normal tissue samples. The […]
miRNAs: Masters of the Tumor MicroenvironmentMay 3, 2011We’ve all heard the slogans about how to lessen our impact on the environment: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. But, what about the impact of microenvironments on us? Scientists have known for years that tumor growth is supported by the surrounding microenvironment, and now a group of Italian researchers have identified miRNAs as the masters that control […]
Tumor Suppressor Methylation is Cause for Cancer ConcernMay 2, 2011Aberrant DNA methylation causes cancer. Wait, didn’t we know this already? Well, not exactly. Association and causation are two very different things. For instance, being smart may be associated with wearing glasses, but the actual cause is a desire to not bump into everything. In order to determine whether aberrant DNA methylation at particular loci […]
