What are the Clinical Implications of Methylation Profiles in Cancer?
Methylation profiles have significant clinical implications in cancer, including:
- Diagnosis: Certain methylation markers can serve as biomarkers for early cancer detection. For example, the hypermethylation of the MGMT gene promoter is a known biomarker for glioblastoma. - Prognosis: Methylation status of specific genes can provide prognostic information. For instance, BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation is associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer. - Therapeutic Targets: Epigenetic therapies, such as DNMT inhibitors like azacitidine and decitabine, are designed to reverse abnormal methylation patterns and restore normal gene function.
