Barcelona conference on epigenetics and cancer: 50 years of histone acetylation

The Barcelona Conference on Epigenetics and Cancer (BCEC) was held in Barcelona, Spain, on October 1^st and 2^nd, 2014. The meeting was co-organized by the Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC-IDIBELL) and B·Debate, an initiative of Biocat, with the support of "la Caixa" Foundation. The scientific committee was comprised of leading scientists in the field of epigenetics: Dr. Manel Esteller, director of PEBC-IDIBELL, Dr. Alejandro Vaquero and Dr. Esteban Ballestar, from PEBC-IDIBELL, Juan Ausió from the University of Victoria (Canada), and Marcus Buschbeck, from the Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), as BCEC series coordinator. This meeting was the second edition of the BCEC series, which was launched by 5 leading Barcelonan institutes to bring together leading investigators in the fields of epigenetics and chromatin research. The topics discussed during the meeting included the current challenges, opportunities, and perspectives surrounding the study of histone modifications (focusing in acetylation), chromatin structure and gene expression, and the involvement of histone acetylation in physiology and diseases, such as cancer or neurological diseases.     

First Barcelona Conference on Epigenetics and Cancer

The Barcelona Conference on Epigenetics and Cancer (BCEC) entitled “Challenges, opportunities and perspectives” took place November 21–22, 2013 in Barcelona. The 2013 BCEC is the first edition of a series of annual conferences jointly organized by five leading research centers in Barcelona. These centers are the Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), the Biomedical Campus Bellvitge with its Program of Epigenetics and Cancer Biology (PEBC), the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB), and the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB). Manuel Perucho and Marcus Buschbeck from the Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer put together the scientific program of the first conference broadly covering all aspects of epigenetic research ranging from fundamental molecular research to drug and biomarker development and clinical application. In one and a half days, 23 talks and 50 posters were presented to a completely booked out audience counting 270 participants.     

Special issue on epigenetic inheritance by histone modifications, histone variants and non-coding RNAs

Keeping in view the ever-growing importance of understanding the epigenetic phenomena shaping the behavior of life, our team decided to embark on the idea to organize this special issue of Frontiers in Biology on Epigenetics.Epigenetics refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expression without changes in DNA sequence, which is accomplished by DNA methylation, histone modifications, histone variants, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs.     

First Barcelona Conference on Epigenetics and Cancer

The Barcelona Conference on Epigenetics and Cancer (BCEC) entitled “Challenges, opportunities and perspectives” took place November 21–22, 2013 in Barcelona. The 2013 BCEC is the first edition of a series of annual conferences jointly organized by five leading research centers in Barcelona. These centers are the Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), the Biomedical Campus Bellvitge with its Program of Epigenetics and Cancer Biology (PEBC), the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB), and the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB). Manuel Perucho and Marcus Buschbeck from the Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer put together the scientific program of the first conference broadly covering all aspects of epigenetic research ranging from fundamental molecular research to drug and biomarker development and clinical application. In one and a half days, 23 talks and 50 posters were presented to a completely booked out audience counting 270 participants.     

Translational Epigenetics: Clinical Approaches to Epigenome Therapeutics for Cancer

Cancer epigenetics research is now entering an exciting phase of translational epigenetics whereby novel epigenome therapeutics is being developed for application in clinical settings. Epigenetics refers to all heritable and potentially reversible changes in gene or genome functioning that occurs without altering the nucleotide sequence of the DNA. A range of different epigenetic “marks” can activate or repress gene expression. While epigenetic alterations are associated with most cancers, epigenetic dysregulation can also have a causal role in cancer etiology. Epigenetically disrupted stem or progenitor cells could have an early role in neoplastic transformations, while perturbance of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression in cancer-relevant pathways will also be a contribution factor. The reversibility of epigenetic marks provides the possibility that the activity of key cancer genes and pathways can be regulated as a therapeutic approach. The growing availability of a range of chemical agents which can affect epigenome functioning has led to a range of epigenetic-therapeutic approaches for cancer and intense interest in the development of second-generation epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs) which would have greater specificity and efficacy in clinical settings. The latest developments in this exciting arena of translational cancer epigenetics were presented at a recent conference on “Epigenetics and New Therapies in Cancer” at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Spain.     

Epigenetic mechanisms in health and disease: BCEC 2017

The Barcelona Conference on Epigenetics and Cancer (BCEC) entitled “Epigenetic Mechanisms in Health and Disease” was held in Barcelona, October 26-26, 2017. The 2017 BCEC was the fifth and last edition of a series of annual conferences organized as a joint effort of five leading Barcelona research institutes together with B-Debate. This edition was organized by Albert Jordan from the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC) and Marcus Bushbeck from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC). Jordi Bernués, Marian Martínez-Balbás, and Ferran Azorín were also part of the scientific committee. In 22 talks and 51 posters, researchers presented their latest results in the fields of histone variants, epigenetic regulation, and chromatin 3D organization to an audience of around 250 participants from 16 countries. This year, a broad number of talks focused on the epigenetic causes and possible related treatments of complex diseases such as cancer. Participants at the 2017 BCEC elegantly closed the series, discussing progress made in the field of epigenetics and highlighting its role in human health and disease.     

DNA甲基化与食管腺癌关系研究进展

癌症本质上是一种多种因素导致的基因疾病。作为肿瘤形成假说中的重要补充内容,表观遗传学已经成为新的研究中心。DNA甲基化是人类基因组发生最为常见的一种表观遗传学事件,因而研究甲基化与肿瘤的关系成为当前分子生物学的热点之一。这篇综述是关于DNA甲基化与食管腺癌的研究进展,包括DNA高甲基化异常与食管腺癌的发生,以及针对甲基化的检测手段,诊断,治疗以及预后。     

Protein degradation,signaling, microRNAs and cancer

A report on the biannual Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC) Symposium on the Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer, Lausanne, Switzerland, 19-22 January 2005.     

Silencing the OCT4-PG1 pseudogene reduces OCT-4 protein levels and changes characteristics of the multidrug resistance phenotype in chronic myeloid leukemia

Molecular Biology Reports - Cancer stem cells show epigenetic plasticity and intrinsic resistance to anti-cancer therapy, rendering capable of initiating cancer relapse and progression....     

Role of Notch signalling pathway in cancer and its association with DNA methylation

The Notch signalling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved cell signalling pathway involved in the development of organisms as diverse as humans and fruit flies. It plays a pivotal role in cell fate determination. Dysregulated Notch signalling is oncogenic, inhibits apoptosis and promotes cell survival. Abnormal Notch signalling is seen in many cancers like T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, acute myeloid leukaemia and cancers of the breast, cervix, colon, pancreas, skin and brain. Inhibition of Notch signalling leads to growth arrest and differentiation in those cells in which Notch pathway is activated and this represents a new target for cancer therapy. Cancer develops from genome defects, including both genetic and epigenetic alterations. Epigenetics deals with heritable changes in gene function that occur without a change in the DNA sequence. Among various epigenetic alterations such as acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitylation and sumoylation, promoter region methylation is considered as an important component in cancer development. Epigenetic alterations can be used as biomarkers in screening, detection, diagnosis, staging and risk stratification of various cancers. DNA methylation can be therapeutically reversed and demethylating drugs have proven to be promising in cancer treatment. This review focusses on the methylation status of genes in Notch signalling pathway from various cancers and how this epigenetic alteration can be used as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment.     

Epigenetics,Eh!: A meeting summary of the Canadian Conference on Epigenetics

In May 2011, the Canadian Conference on Epigenetics: Epigenetics Eh! was held in London, Canada. The objectives of this conference were to showcase the breadth of epigenetic research on environment and health across Canada and to provide the catalyst to develop collaborative Canadian epigenetic research opportunities, similar to existing international epigenetic initiatives in the US and Europe. With ten platform sessions and two sessions with over 100 poster presentations, this conference featured cutting-edge epigenetic research, presented by Canadian and international principal investigators and their trainees in the field of epigenetics and chromatin dynamics. An EpigenART competition included ten artists, creating a unique opportunity for artists and scientists to interact and explore their individual interpretations of this scientific discipline. The conference provided a unique venue for a significant cross-section of Canadian epigenetic researchers from diverse disciplines to meet, interact, collaborate and strategize at the national level.     

Epigenetics, eh! A meeting summary of the Canadian Conference on Epigenetics

In May 2011, the Canadian Conference on Epigenetics: Epigenetics Eh! was held in London, Canada. The objectives of this conference were to showcase the breadth of epigenetic research on environment and health across Canada and to provide the catalyst to develop collaborative Canadian epigenetic research opportunities, similar to existing international epigenetic initiatives in the US and Europe. With ten platform sessions and two sessions with over 100 poster presentations, this conference featured cutting-edge epigenetic research, presented by Canadian and international principal investigators and their trainees in the field of epigenetics and chromatin dynamics. An EpigenART competition included ten artists, creating a unique opportunity for artists and scientists to interact and explore their individual interpretations of this scientific discipline. The conference provided a unique venue for a significant cross-section of Canadian epigenetic researchers from diverse disciplines to meet, interact, collaborate and strategize at the national level.     

Role of physical exercise in the regulation of epigenetic mechanisms in inflammation,cancer, neurodegenerative diseases,and aging process

The genetic heritage for decades has been considered to respond only to gene promoters or suppressors, with specific roles for oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes. Epigenetics is progressively attracting increasing interest because it has demonstrated the capacity of these regulatory processes to regulate the gene expression without modifying gene sequence. Several factors may influence epigenetics, such as lifestyles including food selection. A role for physical exercise is emerging in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. In this review, we resume physiological and pathological implications of epigenetic modification induced by the physical activity (PA). Inflammation and cancer mechanisms, immune system, central nervous system, and the aging process receive benefits due to PA through epigenetic mechanisms. Thus, the modulation of epigenetic processes by physical exercise positively influences prevention, development, and the course of inflammatory and cancer diseases, as well as neurodegenerative illnesses. This growing field of studies gives rise to a new role for PA as an option in prevention strategies and to integrate pharmacological therapeutic treatments.     

Computational biology: plus c'est la même chose,plus ça change

A report on the joint 19th Annual International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB)/10th Annual European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB) meetings and the 7th International Society for Computational Biology Student Council Symposium, Vienna, Austria, 15-19 July 2011.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reivew in this article:
The Pathogenesis of Colorectal Cancer. By B. C. Morson. W. B. Saunders
Stem Cells and Tissue Homeosasis Proceedings of the 2nd British Society for Cell Biology Symposium. Ed. B. I. Lord, C. S. Potten and R. J. Cole     

German-Catalan workshop on epigenetics and cancer

In the First German-Catalan Workshop on Epigenetics and Cancer held in Heidelberg, Germany (June 17–19, 2013), cutting-edge laboratories (PEBC, IMPPC, DKFZ, and the Collaborative Research Centre Medical Epigenetics of Freiburg) discussed the latest breakthroughs in the field. The importance of DNA demethylation, non-coding and imprinted genes, metabolic stress, and cell transdifferentiation processes in cancer and non-cancer diseases were addressed in several lectures in a very participative and dynamic atmosphere.

The meeting brought together leading figures in the field of cancer epigenetics to present their research work from the last five years. Experts in different areas of oncology described important advances in colorectal, lung, neuroblastoma, leukemia, and lymphoma cancers. The workshop also provided an interesting forum for pediatrics, and focused on the need to improve the treatment of childhood tumors in order to avoid, as far as possible, brain damage and disruption of activity in areas of high plasticity. From the beginning, the relevance of “omics” and the advances in genome-wide analysis platforms, which allow cancer to be studied in a more comprehensive and inclusive way, was very clear. Modern “omics” offer the possibility of identifying metastases of uncertain origin and establishing epigenetic signatures linked to a specific cluster of patients with a particular prognosis. In this context, invited speakers described novel tumor-associated histone variants and DNA-specific methylation, highlighting their close connection with other processes such as cell-lineage commitment and stemness.     

Epigenetics, a mode for plants to respond to abiotic stresses

Epigenetics has been becoming a hot topic in recent years.It can be mechanisms that regulate gene expression without changing DNA base sequence.In plants epigenetic regulation has been implicated to be...     

Epigenetics of germ cells, stem cells, and early embryos

The International Symposium entitled "Germ Cells, Epigenetics, Reprogramming, and Embryonic Stem Cells" was organized by Norio Nakatsuji (Kyoto University) and Hiromitsu Nakauchi (University of Tokyo) in Kyoto, Japan (November 15-18, 2005). The meeting provided an overview of this important research area and highlighted recent advances.     

Epigenetic changes in virus-associated human cancers

Epigenetics of human cancer becomes an area of emerging research direction due to a growing understanding of specific epigenetic pathways and rapid development of detection technologies. Aberrant promoter hypermethylation is a prevalent phenonmena in human cancers. Tumor suppressor genes are often hypermethylated due to the increased activity or deregulation of DNMTs. Increasing evidence also reveals that viral genes are one of the key players in regulating DNA methylation. In this review, we will focus on hypermethylation and tumor suppressor gene silencing and the signal pathways that are involved, particularly in cancers closely associated with the hepatitis B virus, simian virus 40 (SV40), and Epstein-Barr virus. In addition, we will discuss current technologies for genome-wide detection of epigenetically regulated targets, which allow for systematic DNA hypermethylation analysis. The study of epigenetic changes should provide a global view of gene profile in cancer, and epigenetic markers could be used for early detection, prognosis, and therapy of cancer.