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Challenges for the application of DNA methylation biomarkers in molecular diagnostic testing for cancer
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Challenges for the application of DNA methylation biomarkers in molecular diagnostic testing for cancer

Surbhi Jain, Tomasz K Wojdacz and Ying-Hsiu Su
Expert review of molecular diagnostics, v 13(3), pp 283-294
01 Apr 2013
PMID: 23570406

Abstract

Aberrant DNA methylation is ubiquitous in human cancer and has been shown to occur early during carcinogenesis, thus providing attractive potential biomarkers for the early detection of cancer. The introduction of genome-wide DNA methylation analysis comparing tumor and nonmalignant tissues resulted in the discovery of many regions that undergo aberrant methylation during carcinogenesis. Those regions can potentially be used as biomarkers for cancer detection. However, a biomarker will be useful for screening or early detection of cancer only if it can be detected in a noninvasive or minimally invasive fashion without tissue biopsy. The authors discuss the challenges in translating DNA methylation biomarkers to cancer diagnosis - including obstacles in assay development, tissue-specific methylation load on tumor suppressor genes, detecting markers with sufficient sensitivity and specificity in the periphery, and ways in which these obstacles can be overcome.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Pathology
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