Epigenetic Articles

The muscle invasive form of urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) is a deadly disease. Currently, the therapeutic approach of UBC is mostly based on surgery and standard chemotherapy. Biomarkers to establish appropriate drugs usage are missing.

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy (CBCT) is part of standard treatment of several cancers. In testicular cancer (TC) survivors, an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) is observed. In this epigenome-wide association study, we investigated if CBCT relates to epigenetic changes (DNA methylation) and if epigenetic changes render individuals susceptible for developing MetS later in life.

The correct risk categorization and staging of upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) is key for disease management. Computed tomography urography (CTU) and urinary cytology have limited accuracy for risk stratification of UTUC.

Early detection of aggressive prostate cancer (PCa) remains crucial for effective treatment of patients. However, PCa screening remains controversial due to a high rate of overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

Following treatment with androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitors, ∼20% of prostate cancer patients progress by shedding their AR dependence. These tumors undergo epigenetic reprogramming turning castration-resistant prostate cancer adenocarcinoma (CRPC-Adeno) into neuroendocrine prostate cancer (CRPC-NEPC).

This systematic review and meta-analysis summarize the difference in the methylation of the H19 gene in patients with abnormal versus normal conventional sperm parameters. It also evaluates the effects of age and sperm concentration on H19 methylation in spermatozoa using meta-regression analysis.

Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) play crucial roles in male development and the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). The AR functions as a ligand dependent transcription factor which recruits multiple enzymatically distinct epigenetic coregulators to facilitate transcriptional regulation in response to androgens.

Given the high recurrence and progression rates and the absence of reliable markers for early detection and prognosis prediction of patients with urothelial bladder cancer (BCa), the exploration of new biomarkers with high specificity is imperative.

Abnormal methylation of urinary TWIST1 and NID2 conferred high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of urothelial carcinoma.

We examine the performance of the urine-based TWIST1/NID2 methylation assay with the addition of urine cytology for the detection of urothelial carcinoma.