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Previous Volume 358:1148-1159 March 13, 2008 Number 11 Next

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Classic genetics alone cannot explain the diversity of phenotypes within a population. Nor does classic genetics explain how, despite their identical DNA sequences, monozygotic twins¹ or cloned animals² can have different phenotypes and different susceptibilities to a disease. The concept of epigenetics offers a partial explanation of these phenomena. First introduced by C.H. Waddington in 1939 to name "the causal interactions between genes and their products, which bring the phenotype into being,"³ epigenetics was later defined as heritable changes in gene expression that are not due to any alteration in the DNA sequence.⁴

The best-known epigenetic marker is DNA methylation. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Epigenetic Features of a Normal Cell

DNA Hypomethylation in Tumors

Inactivation of Tumor-Suppressor Genes

Histone Modifications of Cancer Cells

Epigenetic Factors and miRNA

Epigenetics in Cancer Management

Epigenetic Therapy of Cancer

Source Information

From the Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Spanish National Cancer Research Center, Madrid.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Esteller at the Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Spanish National Cancer Research Center, Melchor Fernandez Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain, or at mesteller@cnio.es.

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