Brief Communication abstract
Nature Genetics 39, 157 - 158 (2006)
Published online: 31 December 2006 | doi:10.1038/ng1941
Epigenetic stem cell signature in cancer
Martin Widschwendter1, Heidi Fiegl1,2, Daniel Egle2, Elisabeth Mueller-Holzner2, Gilbert Spizzo3, Christian Marth2, Daniel J Weisenberger4, Mihaela Campan4, Joanne Young5, Ian Jacobs1 & Peter W Laird4
Embryonic stem cells rely on Polycomb group proteins to reversibly repress genes required for differentiation. We report that stem cell Polycomb group targets are up to 12-fold more likely to have cancer-specific promoter DNA hypermethylation than non-targets, supporting a stem cell origin of cancer in which reversible gene repression is replaced by permanent silencing, locking the cell into a perpetual state of self-renewal and thereby predisposing to subsequent malignant transformation.
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London WC1E 6DH, UK.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
- Department of Internal Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
- Departments of Surgery and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Molecular Cancer Epidemiology Laboratory, Queensland Institute for Medical Research, Herston 4006, Australia.
Correspondence to: Peter W Laird4 e-mail: plaird@usc.edu
Correspondence to: Martin Widschwendter1Daniel J Weisenberger4 e-mail: M.Widschwendter@ucl.ac.uk
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