Chapter 14 - Epigenome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiles in Oral Cancer

Abstract

Aberrant DNA methylation, consequent activation of oncogenes, and silencing of tumor suppressor genes are general phenomena observed in different carcinomas including oral squamous cell carcinoma. Despite the general accessibility of the oral cavity during physical examination, many malignancies are not diagnosed until late stages of the disease. The recent advancement of massively parallel next-generation sequencing and microarray technologies enabled researchers to generate epigenome-wide DNA methylation data for several cell types of diseased and healthy individuals. The urgent need to handle these data led to development of several computational and statistical tools. Here, we have deliberated the recent advancement in computational and statistical tools for genome-wide DNA methylation data analysis and up-to-date progress of DNA methylomics in oral cancer. Identification of epigenetically regulated genes in early stages of oral cancer may be used as potential biomarker for early detection and better clinical management of oral cancer.