Prostate Cancer Epigenetics: A Review on Gene Regulation

Lena Diaw1, Karen Woodson2 and John W. Gillespie1 1SAIC-Frederick, Inc.- National Cancer Institute/Advanced Technology Center. 8717 Grovemont Circle, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A. 2Cancer Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A. Abstract: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in western countries, and its incidence is increasing steadily worldwide. Molecular changes including both genetic and epigenetic events underlying the development and progression of this disease are still not well understood. Epigenetic events are involved in gene regulation and occur through different mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modifi cations. Both DNA methylation and histone modifi cations affect gene regulation and play important roles either independently or by interaction in tumor initiation and progression. This review will discuss the genes associated with epigenetic alterations in prostate cancer progression: their regulation and importance as possible markers for the disease.