Epigenetic Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Therapy and Resistance

Epigenetic  mechanisms are essential for normal mammalian development and  maintenance of gene expression patterns. Disruption of epigenetic  processes can lead to altered transcriptional regulation, gene levels,  and malignant cellular transformation. Global alterations of the  epigenetic landscape are a hallmark of tumorigenesis and metastasis.  Conventionally, cancer was thought to be a genetic disease, but recent  advancement in the field identified an abundance of epigenetic  abnormalities along with genetic alterations. The extensive  reprogramming of epigenetic machinery in cancer includes DNA  methylation, histone modifications, nucleosome positioning and  non-coding RNAs, specifically microRNA expression. Additionally, the  reversible nature of epigenetic aberrations has led to the emergence of  the promising field of epigenetic therapy, and recent FDA approval of  epigenetic drugs for cancer treatment. 

This  book focuses on the epigenetic mechanisms in breast cancertherapy and  resistance. It is organized into three sections, including epigenetic  mechanisms in breast cancer, targeting epigenetic mechanisms for new  therapies, and new and emerging methodologies to study epigenetic  alterations in breast cancer. Chapters highlight various epigenetic  regulations that prevent breast cancer growth and progression, as well  as epigenetic alterations that contribute to breast cancer progression.  This text is a useful methodology book for researchers and students  interested in epigenetics in breast cancer and the fundamentals of  cancer biology.