Since Conrad Waddington introduced the term “epigenetics” in 1942, its definition has wildly changed and evolved in parallel to our knowledge of the phenomenon.
Today, epigenetics is considered the study of hereditable changes in gene activity and regulation, that are not associated with modifications in the underlying DNA sequence. Over the past 80 years, the field of epigenetics has revolutionized the life sciences, changing our concept of biological processes and encompassing the spectrum of research, from basic research to translational and clinical research.
At Frontiers in Oncology, we would like to celebrate this incredible journey and the impact that epigenetic studies have had in the oncology field by introducing this special series. In this series, we would like to explore the recent advances in epigenetic studies in the most significant fields of oncological research with the greater aim of benefiting patients and cancer prevention in our communities.
Epigenetic Insights into Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and its initiation and progression are the results of an accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations. Opposite to genetic mutations, epigenetic modifications are dynamic and reversible making them attractive targets for therapeutic applications.
Several studies have investigated the drugability of DNA methylation enzymes, histone modification proteins, and ncRNAs pathway. However, many of these proteins belong to multiple complexes with a broad range of cellular functions, so their inhibition can result in undesirable off-target effects. Thus, a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in tumor formation and evolution is needed to refine and fully exploit epigenetic proteins as therapeutic targets.
In addition to the discovery of new therapeutic targets, identification of epigenetic biomarkers for early detection of tumors and classification of tumor subtypes are needed. The DNA methylation status of key genes and the ncRNAs signature can be detected by non-invasive methods, such as liquid biopsies, and used to infer information on the tumor status.
The Research Topic aims to provide new insights into the role of epigenetics in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. We welcome Original Research Articles and Review Articles focused, but not limited to:
- New epigenomic targets for cancer therapy
- Novel epigenetic modulators and their mechanism of action
- improvement of immunotherapeutic strategies by combination with epigenetic drugs
- Insights into the molecular mechanism of epigenetic drugs
- Pre-clinical and clinical studies
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
See below for other collections in the Epigenetic Insights series:
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Epigenetic Insights into Carcinogenesis -
Epigenetic Insights into Cancer Metabolism -
Epigenetic Insights into Diet and Nutrition in Cancer 