Abstract
Cancer is caused by inflation of genetic damage, mutational changes including activated proto-oncogenes and inactivated tumor suppressor genes. However, recent evidence suggests that the epigenetic mechanism is also necessary to regulate transcriptional activity and is dysregulated during cancer. Cancer epigenetics is the heritable changes in gene expression without affecting actual DNA sequence. Tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes regulate cell division. Tumor suppressor genes including p53 and Rb act as a guardian of the genome by helping DNA repair mechanisms, apoptosis pathway and also play a role in regulating the epigenetic changes that can occur in cells. Proto-oncogenes like Ras and Myc are genes that cause normal cells to become cancerous when they are mutated. Moreover, evidence suggests the possible mechanism behind the alteration of oncogenes like Myc gene is due to the action of DNA methyltransferases, HDACs and HATs. In the present chapter, we will discuss major epigenetic changes in tumor suppressor gene and oncogene which would help to better understand cancer.
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