BRAINCAKEEpigenetic Treatments for Cancer
Unlike mutations, epigenetic changes can be reversed. This makes them targets for drugs. The aim of epigenetic treatment is to reactivate tumour suppressor genes that have been wrongly silenced, so they can slow cell division again or trigger apoptosis in cancer cells.
Drugs that reduce DNA methylation
Hypermethylation silences tumour suppressor genes. Drugs such as azacitidine and decitabine inhibit the enzymes that add methyl groups to DNA (DNA methyltransferases). When the cancer cells divide, the new DNA is not methylated, so the tumour suppressor genes can be transcribed again. These drugs are used to treat some blood cancers.
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Key terms in this lesson
- mutation
- A random change in the base sequence of DNA (a gene mutation) or in the structure or number of chromosomes (a chromosome mutation).
- apoptosis
- Programmed cell death, a controlled process in which unwanted or damaged cells are broken down into vesicles and removed by phagocytosis without damaging surrounding tissue.
- proto-oncogene
- A normal gene that stimulates cell division, for example by coding for a growth factor or its receptor, and can become an oncogene if mutated.
More in Control of Gene Expression
- DNA Methylation
- Histone Acetylation
- Epigenetics and Disease
- Benign and Malignant Tumours
- Tumour Suppressor Genes
- Oncogenes
- Abnormal Methylation and Cancer
- Oestrogen and Breast Cancer
All 18 lessons in Control of Gene Expression · All AQA A-level Biology topics