What Are the Applications of Methylation Profiling in Cancer?
Methylation profiling has several applications in cancer research and clinical practice:
Cancer diagnosis: Aberrant methylation patterns can serve as biomarkers for early cancer detection. For example, the hypermethylation of specific genes can indicate the presence of certain cancers. Prognostic markers: Methylation profiles can provide information about the likely course of the disease and patient outcomes. Certain methylation patterns are associated with more aggressive cancers or poorer prognoses. Therapeutic targets: Understanding methylation changes can help identify potential targets for therapy. Drugs that modify DNA methylation, such as DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, can reactivate silenced tumor suppressor genes. Personalized medicine: Methylation profiling can guide treatment decisions by identifying patients who are likely to respond to specific therapies. For instance, patients with certain methylation patterns might benefit more from particular chemotherapies or targeted drugs.
