The DNA methylation landscape of small cell lung cancer suggests a differentiation defect of neuroendocrine cells.

ABSTRACT: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a disease characterized by aggressive clinical behavior and lack of effective therapy. Owing to its tendency for early dissemination, only a third of patients have limited-stage disease at the time of diagnosis. SCLC is thought to derive from pulmonary neuroendocrine cells. Although several molecular abnormalities in SCLC have been described, there are relatively few studies on epigenetic alterations in this type of tumor. Here, we have used methylation profiling with the methylated-CpG island recovery assay in combination with microarrays and conducted the first genome-scale analysis of methylation changes that occur in primary SCLC and SCLC cell lines. Among the hundreds of tumor-specifically methylated genes discovered, we identified 73 gene targets that

SUBMITTER: Kalari S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3625455 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature