Abstract

Two epigenetic events that are associated with transcriptional silencing in carcinogenesis include hypermethylation of CpG islands near gene promoter regions and changes in chromatin conformation involving histone acetylation. Pharmacologic targeting of these epigenetic processes and upregulation of genes involving fundamental cellular pathways have become a new therapeutic strategy in the treatment of hematopoietic malignancies.

Keywords: Epigenetics, DNA methylation, histone modifications, transcriptional silencing, tumor suppressor genes