Genética Humana e Embriologia

Side-by-Side Epigenetics and Genetics Share Importance in Cancer Development

Abstract

Ana Paula de Souza- Pardo

Recently, I had in my hands an interesting and highly recommended review from Jueng Soo You and Peter Jones entitled “Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics: Two Sides of the Same Coin?” which was published in Cancer Cell. In this review, the authors discuss the role and the weight of genetics and epigenetics in tumorigenesis. According to them “intriguing evidences have emerged showing that genetic and epigenetic mechanism are not separate events in cancer” and “alterations in epigenetic mechanisms can lead to genetic mutations, and genetic mutations in epigenetic regulators lead to an altered epigenome”. Here, I develop this theme based on this last statement.