Transforming Growth Factor and the Role of Epigenetic Aberrancies in Oncogenic Amplifications: A New Perspective in Preventive and Therapeutic Arena

Three genetic mechanisms activate oncogenes in human neoplasms: 1) mutations, 2) gene amplification, and 3) chromosome rearrangements. These mechanisms result in either an alteration of protooncogene structure or an increase in protooncogene expression. The role of epigenetic aberrancies in carcinogenesis has been described earlier however to clinicians, the biological implications of epigenetic therapies to prevent cancer and the mechanisms involved have been a mystery. Furthermore, there is no biomarker suggested to track the carcinogenesis steps long before cancer develops, and this has caused a significant lack of proactive and preventive measures to be taken as all recommendations in preventive oncology are either deficiently and blindly made or through screening methods which are too late in the game. Here we explored a very different approach by applying our deepest understanding of epigenetics and carcinogenesis and even further we developed a framework where our clinical findings could translate to the research and vice versa by generating advanced and novel hypotheses on “how we get cancer”, by exploring the relation between the host and the tumor cells in a way no one had perceived before. The role of specific cancer stem cell pathways is dissected and how to inhibit each of these initiators using multitargeted epigenetic therapies and off-label medications are explained. We should admit that without considering this sophisticated amazing biological network, cancer will remain an unsolved challenge. Further, we were able to solve this unsolved puzzle by bridging the gap from a hypothetical point of view/hypothesis to possibilities that explain the clinical findings we had observed, and conclude that such an approach can completely change the way practitioners are treating cancer.

The genetic and epigenetic alterations in human hepatocellular carcinoma： a recent update

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is one of the most frequent human malignancies worldwide with very poor prognosis. It is generally accepted that the progression of HCC is a long-term process with accumulation of multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations, which further lead to the activation of critical oncogenes or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. HCC is characterized with multiple cancer hallmarks including their ability to proliferate, anti-poptosis, invade, metastasis, as well as the emerging features such as stem cell properties and energy metabolic switch. The irreversible alterations at genetic level could be detected as early as in the pre-neoplastic stages and accumulate during cancer progression. Thus, they might account for the cancer initiating steps and further malignant transformation. In addition to genetic alterations, epigenetic alterations can affect the cancer transcriptome more extensively. Alterations in DNA methylation, histone modification, miRNAs, RNA editing, and IncRNAs might result in disrupted gene regulation networks and substantially contribute to HCC progression. In this review, the genetic and epigenetic alterations which significantly contribute to the malignant capabilities of HCC will be updated and summarized in detail. Further characterization of those critical molecular events might better elucidate the pathogenesis of HCC and provide novel therapeutic targets for treatment of this deadly disease.