Chapter 21 - Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes associated with Helicobacter pylori and Epstein–Barr virus infections in gastric cancer

Abstract

Gastric cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The development and progression of gastric cancer has been attributed to many factors, including genetic alterations, epigenetic changes, and infections with Helicobacter pylori and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). H. pylori and EBV are two well-known contributors to gastric cancer and can establish lifelong persistent infection in the host; this leads to chronic inflammation, which also contributes to the development of cancer. Epigenetic silencing due to hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes is one of the key events in gastric carcinogenesis. Recent advances in cancer epigenomics have shed new light on the importance of epigenetic deregulation in H. pylori– and EBV-driven gastric tumorigenesis. The purpose of this chapter is to present the hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes associated with H. pylori and EBV infections in gastric cancer.