1. Epigenetic Silencing of Progeroid Syndromes.
- Author
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Agrelo, Ruben
- Abstract
The risk of developing cancer increases with age, and the accumulation of epigenetic modifications has been found to be an important factor in tumorigenesis. A global loss of DNA methylation is detected both in aging and in cancer, and promoter hypermethylation is associated with the silencing of genes with roles both in tumor suppression and in progeria, such as the Werner syndrome (WRN) and lamin A/C (LMNA) genes. The epigenetic inactivation of these two genes in different tumors demonstrated for the first time that genes involved in the aging process could also be of crucial importance in the development of human cancer. In this review, I will explore the physiological significance of these epigenetic modifications during aging and the neoplastic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
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