Asbestos-associated genome-wide DNA methylation changes in lung cancer

A study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) provides new evidence that asbestos exposure may induce DNA methylation changes in specific genes. IARC researchers, in partnership with the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki, carried out a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of lung cancer tissue samples for which detailed asbestos exposure and clinical data were available, and compared the samples with normal lung tissue. The research, published last week in the International Journal of Cancer (IJC), provides key insights into the mechanisms associated with asbestos exposure that contribute to lung cancer. It also identifies new potential biomarkers of asbestos exposure.

Kettunen E, Hernandez-Vargas H, Cros MP, Durand G, Le Calvez-Kelm F, Stuopelyte K, et al.
Asbestos-associated genome-wide DNA methylation changes in lung cancer
Int J Cancer. 2017 Jul 19. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30897. [EPUB ahead of print]

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