Epigenetic alternations and cancer chemotherapy response.

Epigenetics, referring to alterations in gene expression without a change in nucleotide sequence in eukaryotes, mainly includes DNA methylation, miRNA and histone modification. In recent years, accumulating evidences have shown that epigenetic aberrations not only play important roles in the initiation and development of human cancers but also affect cancer chemotherapy response by altering the expression of key genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs or those correlated with progression or severity of cancers. These epigenetic alterations, along with advanced detecting techniques, have great potential to be used as predictive and prognostic biomarkers for personalized therapy, especially in the field of cancer treatment. Here we provide an overview of recent findings on epigenetic alterations involved in cancer chemotherapy response, with the aim of promoting rational use of chemotherapy drugs in the clinic.