Epigenomics Articles

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of prostate cancer have identified >250 significant risk loci, but the causal variants and mechanisms for these loci remain largely unknown. Here, we sought to identify and characterize risk-harboring regulatory elements by integrating epigenomes from primary prostate tumor and normal tissues of 27 individuals across the H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K4me2 histone marks and FOXA1 and HOXB13 transcription factors.

Prostate cancer is driven by acquired genetic alterations, including those impacting the epigenetic machinery. With African ancestry as a significant risk factor for aggressive disease, we hypothesize that dysregulation among the roughly 656 epigenetic genes may contribute to prostate cancer health disparities.

Clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC), the 8th leading cause of cancer-related death in the US, is challenging to treat due to high level intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) and the paucity of druggable driver mutations.

Grade group 1 (GG1) primary prostate cancers with a pathologic Gleason score of 6 are considered indolent and generally not associated with fatal outcomes, so treatment is not indicated for most cases.

There are currently no effective treatments for advanced-stage papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC). The goal of this study is to define potential DNA methylation-based markers and treatment targets for advanced-stage type 2 PRCC.

Francesco Crea speaks to Lucy Chard, Commissioning Editor. Dr Crea's lab studies the role of epigenetic factors and noncoding RNA in cancer initiation and progression. While working at the National Cancer Institute (USA), Dr Crea has demonstrated that polycomb-targeting drugs eradicate prostate cancer stem cells.

Nephrolithiasis is an increasingly prevalent condition, especially in high income countries, and is associated with high morbidity. Extraordinary progress in genetics made the identification of genetic forms of nephrolithiasis possible.