去甲基化在肿瘤治疗中的研究进展

肿瘤可以发生许多基因的异常甲基化,尤其是抑癌基因启动子区的高甲基化对肿瘤发生有很重要的作用。DNA甲基化具有可逆性,应用去甲基化药物可以使甲基化逆转。现就DNA甲基化异常与肿瘤发生之间关系的研究进展予以综述,尤其是抗肿瘤治疗方面的突破,总结了去甲基化治疗肿瘤的优缺点,并对今后的研究方向进行展望。

Progress of Researches on Demethylation in Tumor Treatment

Aberrant methylation of DNA is frequently found in tumors and the hypermethylation in promoter regions of tumor suppressor genes may also play an important role in the carcinogenesis.Because of the reversibility of DNA methylation,the agents reducing the level of methylation have become a new modality to treat tumors.This article reviews the advances of research on the relation between DNA methylation abnormality and tumorigenesis in the last decades,especially a recent breakthrough in antineoplastic therapy and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment with the demethylating drugs in tumors,in addition to predict the future research work on the demethylating agents.