EPIGENETICS IN CANCER INITIATION 🎗️

“𝓐𝓰𝓮-𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓸𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓮𝓹𝓲𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓬 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓬𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓼𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓫𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝓾𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝓪𝓬𝓬𝓾𝓶𝓾𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓮.” - Professor Anne Brunet

🧬 Epigenetics (heritable changes in gene expression without DNA sequence alteration) is increasingly recognized as a driver of early cancer initiation, not just a downstream effect. It shapes cellular identity, yet its dysregulation can quietly reprogram cells toward malignancy.

          🔹 Aberrant hypermethylation silences tumor suppressor genes, while global hypomethylation promotes genomic instability and oncogene activation. These early shifts often precede detectable mutations, suggesting epigenetic “priming.”

          🔹 Altered acetylation and methylation reshape chromatin accessibility, tipping the balance toward proliferation and away from apoptosis (key hallmarks of early tumorigenesis).

         🔹 Dysregulated miRNAs disrupt post-transcriptional control, weakening tumor suppression and amplifying oncogenic signaling networks.

➡️ Environmental exposures (e.g., tobacco, diet, pollutants) further accelerate these changes, linking lifestyle and aging to cancer risk through cumulative epigenetic drift.

⚠️ In an Oystershell, unlike genetic mutations, epigenetic alterations are potentially reversible; making them powerful targets for early detection, prevention, and precision therapy.

Abubakar Abubakar ✍🏻

• Jones, P.A., & Baylin, S.B. (2007). The epigenomics of cancer. Cell.

• Feinberg, A.P., & Tycko, B. (2004). The history of cancer epigenetics. Nat Rev Cancer.

• Baylin, S.B., & Jones, P.A. (2016). Epigenetic determinants of cancer. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol.

• Esteller, M. (2008). Epigenetics in cancer. N Engl J Med.

#Epigenetics #CancerBiology #Oncology #PrecisionMedicine #Genomics #Research #NGS #IVF #PGT #CRISPR ⚕️