Promoter hypermethylation of neural-related genes is compatible with stemness in solid cancers.

ABSTRACT:

Background

DNA hypermethylation is an epigenetic feature that modulates gene expression, and its deregulation is observed in cancer. Previously, we identified a neural-related DNA hypermethylation fingerprint in colon cancer, where most of the top hypermethylated and downregulated genes have known functions in the nervous system. To evaluate the presence of this signature and its relevance to carcinogenesis in general, we considered 16 solid cancer types available in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Results

All tested cancers showed significant enrichment for neural-related genes amongst hypermethylated genes. This signature was already present in two premalignant tissue types and could not be explained by potential confounders such as bivalency status or tumor purity. Furthe

SUBMITTER: Idris M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10398991 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature