Authors
Martin Widschwendter, Heidi Fiegl, Daniel Egle, Elisabeth Mueller-Holzner, Gilbert Spizzo, Christian Marth, Daniel J Weisenberger, Mihaela Campan, Joanne Young, Ian Jacobs, Peter W Laird
Publication date
2007/2/1
Journal
Nature genetics
Volume
39
Issue
2
Pages
157-158
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Description
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.
Total citations
Scholar articles
M Widschwendter, H Fiegl, D Egle, E Mueller-Holzner… - Nature genetics, 2007