Epigenetics of breast cancer family history
- Date:
- January 7, 2014
- Source:
- Landes Bioscience
- Summary:
- Researchers have examined whether a specific epigenetic modification (more specifically, methylation of the DNA) can be associated to breast cancer family history in unaffected women from high-risk breast cancer families.
- Share:
Breast cancer runs in families; however, genetic predisposition (such as being BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers) explains only a portion of this observation. Epigenetic changes (modifications in the genome that alter gene expression but do not affect the DNA sequence per se) have been shown to also play a role in breast cancer risk.
Researchers from the Columbia University Medical Center in New York have now examined whether a specific epigenetic modification (more specifically, methylation of the DNA) can be associated to breast cancer family history in unaffected women from high-risk breast cancer families. This important work suggests that the levels of DNA methylation in white blood cells from cancer-free women could be one of the factors playing a role in the clustering of breast cancer in families with extensive cancer histories within its members.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Landes Bioscience. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Lissette Delgado-Cruzata, Hui-Chen Wu, Yuyan Liao, Regina M Santella, Mary Beth Terry. Changes in DNA methylation by extent of breast cancer family history in unaffected women. Epigenetics, 2014; 9 (2) DOI: 10.4161/epi.26880
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