REVIEW article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Molecular and Cellular Oncology
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1567242
This article is part of the Research TopicEpigenetic Modulation in CancerView all 3 articles
The Role of DNA Methylation and Demethylation in Bladder Cancer: A Focus on Therapeutic Strategies
Provisionally accepted
- 1Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- 2Department of Clinical Oncology, Franciszek Lukaszczyk Oncology Centre, Bydgoszcz, Pomeranian, Poland
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DNA methylation is the best-known epigenetic mechanism regulating gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Its counterpart, known as DNA demethylation, is equally important and enables the activation of previously silenced genes. DNA demethylation has attracted interest in the scientific community following the landmark discovery that Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) proteins can convert 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. A growing body of research indicatesthat changes in TET protein levels and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine content are hallmarks of cancer. These epigenetic changes appear to play a critical role in the development of malignancies characterized by high levels of somatic mutations and genetic instability. Bladder cancer is among the most common cancers worldwide and, despite aggressive treatment, remains associated with high mortality and poor prognosis. The lack of reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers poses a significant challenge in its management, highlighting the urgent need for novel biomarkers to enable earlier diagnosis and more accurate prediction of clinical outcomes. This review examines epigenetic alterations associated with bladder cancer and their clinical implications. We focus on the impact of DNA methylation and demethylation on oncogene regulation, summarize scientific evidence supporting their role in bladder cancer development and progression, and briefly explore novel therapeutic strategies targeting those epigenetic mechanisms.
Keywords: DNA Methylation, DNA demethylation, TET, 5hmC, Bladder urothelial carcinoma
Received: 26 Jan 2025; Accepted: 16 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Strasenburg, Borowczak, Piątkowska, Jóźwicki and Grzanka. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wiktoria Strasenburg, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
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