Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant childhood brain tumor. The heterogeneous tumors are classified into four subgroups based on transcription profiles. Recent developments in genome-wide sequencing techniques have rapidly advanced the understanding of these tumors. The high percentages of somatic alterations of genes encoding chromatin regulators in all subgroups suggest that epigenetic deregulation is a major driver of medulloblastoma. In this report, we review the current understanding of epigenetic regulation in medulloblastoma with a focus on the functional studies of chromatin regulators in the initiation and progression of specific subgroups of medulloblastoma. We also discuss the potential usage of epigenetic inhibitors for medulloblastoma treatment.

髓母细胞瘤是儿童期最常见的恶性脑肿瘤。根据转录谱将异质性肿瘤分为四个亚组。全基因组测序技术的最新发展迅速促进了对这些肿瘤的了解。在所有亚组中，编码染色质调节剂的基因的体细胞改变的百分比很高，表明表观遗传失调是髓母细胞瘤的主要驱动力。在本报告中，我们回顾了髓母细胞瘤中表观遗传调控的当前理解，重点是染色质调节剂在髓母细胞瘤特定亚组的起始和进展中的功能研究。我们还讨论了表观遗传抑制剂在髓母细胞瘤治疗中的潜在用途。