RESUMEN
DNA methylation patterns may be used as innovative biomarkers for some pathologies including cancer. They show a great accessibility due to their stability and presence in body fluids. In addition, these epigenetic modifications may be used as prognosis markers or therapeutic targets. Concretely, in colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common cancer in the world in both men and women, a continuous genetic and epigenetic alteration occurs during neoplastic transformation in colonic epithelial cells. This accumulation of alterations leads to the transformation of normal colonic epithelial cells to adenocarcinomas, and these genetic alterations are promoted by aberrant methylation of promoter regions and subsequent gene silencing. Many of these genes have been reported to be methylated in the tissue, plasma and stool of CRC patients, suggesting that they may have great potential to be used as biomarkers for the early detection of CRC. The aim of this study is to review changes in the methylation pattern of the genes that can be used as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of CRC
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Asunto(s)
Biomarcadores de Tumor/uso terapéutico , Neoplasias Colorrectales/diagnóstico , Metilación de ADN/genética , Biomarcadores de Tumor/análisis , Biomarcadores de Tumor/genética , Marcadores Genéticos/genética , Neoplasias Colorrectales/genética , Neoplasias Colorrectales/patología , Epigénesis Genética/genética , Silenciador del Gen , PronósticoRESUMEN
Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in both, men and women. The development of metastasis is very frequent, especially in patients with advanced stage, who require intensive chemotherapy that often results in poor response and significant morbidity. The undesirable effects of intensive chemotherapy on normal cells and the development of multidrug resistance are two of the main causes of treatment failure. Recent advances in nanotechnology allow to target cancer cells using cytotoxic drugs without affecting normal cells. Nanocarriers such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes, among others, are able to improve drug distribution and bioavailability, cytotoxic concentration in the tumor mass and drug delivery to tumor tissue and, at the same time, reduce side effects. Current research studies are being conducted to develop new biomaterials that improve the characteristics of these nanomolecules. Several preclinical assays have disclosed the efficacy of nanotherapy in colon cancer, although further clinical trials will be necessary to demonstrate its efficacy. This review discusses the current status and the potential advantages of using nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems for colorectal cancer.