《生命科学》 2021, 33(5): 646-652

DNA甲基化在肝癌中的研究进展

杨超祺 , 刘松梅^*

武汉大学中南医院检验科，基因诊断中心，武汉 430071

摘　要：

DNA 甲基化是甲基选择性添加到胞嘧啶上形成5- 甲基胞嘧啶的过程，作为表观遗传修饰的重要方式，可以在不改变DNA 序列的情况下调控基因的表达。肿瘤抑制基因的表观遗传沉默是导致人类癌症发生、发展的主要事件。肝癌是严重威胁人类生命健康的恶性肿瘤，其发展是一个从慢性肝炎、肝硬化、原发性肝癌到转移性肝癌的多步骤过程。表观遗传调控的分子机制与肝癌密切相关。除了传统的血清学标志物和影像学检查，一些高灵敏度和特异性的肿瘤标志基因甲基化检测在恶性肿瘤的早期诊断、治疗监测及预后评估方面具有很好的潜力。因此，该文对可能用于肝癌高危人群早期筛查和风险评估的异常DNA甲基化相关的生物标志物进行综述。

通讯作者：刘松梅 , Email:smliu@whu.edu.cn

The role of DNA methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma

YANG Chao-Qi , LIU Song-Mei^*

Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China

Abstract:

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism involving the transfer of a methyl group onto the C5 position of the cytosine, which regulates gene expression without changing DNA sequence. Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes is a major event leading to the occurrence and progression of cancers. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the primary form of malignant liver cancer and it has been the main cause of cancer-related death. Development of HCC is a multistep process going from chronic inflammation, cirrhosis, and primary HCC to metastatic HCC. Epigenetic modifications have been considered as an important mechanism associated with HCC. In addition to traditional serological markers and imaging tests, some highly sensitive and specific methylation biomarkers do have great potentials for the early diagnosis and treatment efficiency evaluation of cancers. Here, we summarized the biomarkers related to aberrant DNA methylation that could be used for early screening and risk assessment in populations at high-risk of HCC.

Communication Author：LIU Song-Mei , Email:smliu@whu.edu.cn