DNA Methylation and Gene Silencing in Cancer

在这项资助中，我们的目标是研究癌症的分子基础。肿瘤抑制基因的启动子区域在癌症中经常被称为甲基化的化学过程修饰。DNA的甲基化与基因沉默有关。因此，DNA甲基化通常被认为是导致癌症中基因沉默的原因。在这项研究中，我们的目标是确定甲基化是否是引发癌症基因沉默的原因，或者甲基化是否是基因沉默的结果。这是理解甲基化在癌症发展中的作用的关键区别。

In this grant we aim to study the moecular basis of cancer. The promoter regions of tumour suppressor genes are often modified in cancer by a chemical process called methylation. Methylation of DNA is associated with gene silencing. Therefore DNA methylation is commonly regarded as causing the silencing of genes in cancer. In this grant, we aim to determine if methylation is causal in triggering gene silencing in cancer, or if methylation is a consequence of gene silencing. This is a critical distinction in understanding the role of methylation in cancer development.