Abstract ES8-3: Epigenetic heterogeneity in cancer

Abstract

Abstract Heterogeneity of cancer cells within tumors is a major challenge in clinical oncology as it underlies tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Cancer cells can have varying genotypes, epigenetic states such as DNA methylation and chromatin patterns, and phenotypes. The high frequency of somatic mutations in genes encoding for epigenetic regulators and transcription factors in breast cancer highlight the importance of perturbed epigenetic programs in breast tumorigenesis. Some forms of epigenetic heterogeneity within tumors is due to variability for cellular differentiation states such as luminal and basal features, whereas other forms reflect transient cellular states sometimes triggered by microenvironmental signals. Cellular epigenetic heterogeneity within tumors thought to play key roles in metastatic progression and therapeutic resistance. Thus, its better understanding and our ability to modulate it are critical for the design of more effective cancer treatment strategies. In contrast to genetic alterations, epigenetic states are reversible and due to intense research in this area, the number of compounds for their modulation is rapidly increasing. Because epigenetic modulators likely to work best in combination with other agents, the design of clinical trials testing their efficacy requires novel approaches. Citation Format: Kornelia Polyak. Epigenetic heterogeneity in cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr ES8-3.