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Epigenetics in Head and Neck Cancer

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Cancer Epigenetics

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1238))

Abstract

Epigenetics refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without a change in DNA sequence. Research has shown that epigenetic mechanisms provide an “extra” layer of transcriptional control that regulates how genes are expressed. These mechanisms are critical components in the normal development and growth of cells. Epigenetic abnormalities have been found to be causative factors in cancer, genetic disorders, and pediatric syndromes. Head and neck cancers are a group of malignancies with diverse biological behaviors and a strong, well-established association with environmental effects. Although the hunt for genetic alterations in head and neck cancer has continued in the past two decades, with unequivocal proof of a genetic role in multistage head and neck carcinogenesis, epigenetic alteration in association with promoter CpG islands hypermethylation has emerged in the past few years as one of the most active areas of cancer research. Silencing of the genes by hypermethylation or induction of oncogenes by promoter hypomethylation is a frequent mechanism in head and neck cancer and achieves increasing diagnostic and therapeutic importance. In this context it is important for clinicians to understand the principles of epigenetic mechanisms and how these principles relate to human health and disease. It is important to address the use of epigenetic pathways in new approaches to molecular diagnosis and novel targeted treatments across the clinical spectrum.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Computing, Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Syeda Marriam Bakhtiar

  2. Atta-ur-Rehman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan

    Amjad Ali

  3. Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), Nonakuri, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India

    Debmalya Barh

Authors
  1. Syeda Marriam Bakhtiar
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  2. Amjad Ali
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  3. Debmalya Barh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Debmalya Barh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Mukesh Verma

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Bakhtiar, S.M., Ali, A., Barh, D. (2015). Epigenetics in Head and Neck Cancer. In: Verma, M. (eds) Cancer Epigenetics. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1238. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1804-1_39

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1804-1_39

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1803-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1804-1

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