METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING EPIGENETICALLY SILENCED GENES AND NOVEL TUMOUR SUPPRESSOR GENES

摘要

A method of detecting a predisposition to, or the incidence of, cancer in a sample comprises detecting an epigenetic change in at least one gene selected from PARVG, FGF19, PTPRN, COL11A2 and LTBP3, wherein detection of the epigenetic change is indicative of a predisposition to, or the incidence of, cancer. The cancer may be lung cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, leukaemia or lymphoma. Related methods and kits can also be employed to select suitable treatments for cancer, stage cancer and treat cancer. A method of treating cancer comprises inhibiting the expression or activity of at least one Methyl Binding Domain (MBD) gene or protein in tumour cells, thus alleviating epigenetic silencing of at least one tumour suppressor gene. A method for identifying at least one epigenetically silenced gene in a cell comprises either inhibiting the expression or activity of at least one MBD gene or protein in the cell and identifying one or more genes whose expression is upregulated as a result of inhibiting the expression or activity of the at least one MBD gene or protein in the cell; or, in a cell in which the expression or activity of at least one MBD gene or protein has been inhibited, identifying one or more genes whose expression is upregulated as a result of inhibiting the expression or activity of the at least one MBD gene or protein in the cell.