Cancer control and prevention by nutrition and epigenetic approaches.

SIGNIFICANCE: Epigenetics involves alterations in gene expression without changing the nucleotide sequence. Because some epigenetic changes can be reversed chemically, epigenetics has tremendous implications for disease intervention and treatment. RECENT ADVANCES: After epigenetic components in cancer were characterized, genes and pathways are being characterized in other diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and neurological disorders. Observational, experimental, and clinical studies in different diseases have shown that nutrients influence epigenetic regulation. Nutrients such as folic acid that supply methyl groups have been shown to have a protective effect in colon cancer. CRITICAL ISSUES: Identifying steps during epigenetic regulation and developing intervention and treatment agents are the critical issues in the field. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Following completion and validation of key observational studies in nutritional epigenetics, strategies can be developed for cancer control and treatment.