Methods and Compositions for Detecting Cancer Through General Loss of Epigenetic Domain Stability

摘要

Provided herein is a method of detecting cancer through generalized loss of stability of epigenetic domains as well as compositions useful therein. The present invention is based on the discovery that generalized loss of stability of epigenetic domains was determined to be a characteristic across various cancer types. Genome-scale bisulfite sequencing of cancers revealed a surprising loss of methylation stability in the cancer methylome, involving both CpG islands and shores, as well as large (up to several megabases) blocks of hypomethylation affecting more than half of the genome, with concomitant stochastic variability in gene expression.