Supratentorial and spinal pediatric ependymomas display a hypermethylated phenotype which includes the loss of tumor suppressor genes involved in the control of cell growth and death.

ABSTRACT: Epigenetic alterations, including methylation, have been shown to be an important mechanism of gene silencing in cancer. Ependymoma has been well characterized at the DNA copy number and mRNA expression levels. However little is known about DNA methylation changes. To gain a more global view of the methylation profile of ependymoma we conducted an array-based analysis. Our data demonstrated tumors to segregate according to their location in the CNS, which was associated with a difference in the global level of methylation. Supratentorial and spinal tumors displayed significantly more hypermethylated genes than posterior fossa tumors, similar to the 'CpG island methylator phenotype' (CIMP) identified in glioma and colon carcinoma. This hypermethylated profile was associated with an increase

SUBMITTER: Rogers HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3316934 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature