Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and it can affect any part of the organism. It arises as a consequence of the genetic and epigenetic changes that lead to the uncontrolled growth of the cells. The epigenetic machinery can regulate gene expression without altering the DNA sequence, and it comprises methylation of the DNA, histones modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Alterations of these gene-expression regulatory elements can be produced by an imbalance of the intracellular environment, such as the one derived by oxidative stress, to promote cancer development, progression, and resistance to chemotherapeutic treatments. Here we review the current literature on the effect of oxidative stress in the epigenetic machinery, especially over the largely unknown ncRNAs and its consequences toward cancer development and progression.
Highlights
Cancer is a generic term defining a wide and heterogeneous group of diseases that can affect any part of the organism
Long non-coding RNAs are RNA transcripts of more than 200 nucleotides in length that lack evident open reading frames [79]. lncRNAs are transcribed at lower levels than mRNAs, most of them are poorly conserved along evolution, and their expression seems to be more cell and tissue-specific than mRNAs
One of the effects of miR-7 silencing in cisplatin-resistant lung and ovarian cancer cell lines is the upregulation of its target gene MAFG
Summary
Cancer is a generic term defining a wide and heterogeneous group of diseases that can affect any part of the organism. Cancer development is a consequence of molecular alterations of genetic and/or epigenetic origin These can be initiated by the accumulation of genetic changes in DNA that affect the DNA sequence, such as mutations and chromosomal rearrangements, or by modifications in DNA, histones and non-coding RNAs that do not change the original sequence (epigenetic modifications). All of these changes promote the clonal selection of those cells that show a more aggressive phenotype. The last revision to the molecular definition of a cancer cell was done in 2011 by Hanahan and Weinberg, who determined new features and defined the presence of a tumor microenvironment developed by the cells along the multiple steps of tumorigenesis [5]. All these properties encompass the most up-to-date definition of the cancer cell
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
