Cancer remains one of the most challenging diseases despite significant advances of early diagnosis and therapeutic treatments. Cancerous tumors are composed of various cell types including cancer stem cells capable of self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, and invasion of distal tumor sites. Most notably, these cells can enter a dormant cellular state that is resistant to conventional therapies. Thereby, cancer stem cells have the intrinsic potential for tumor initiation, tumor growth, metastasis, and tumor relapse after therapy. Both genetic and epigenetic alterations are attributed to the formation of multiple tumor types. This review is focused on how epigenetic dynamics involving DNA methylation and DNA oxidations are implicated in breast cancer and glioblastoma multiforme. The emergence and progression of these cancer types rely on cancer stem cells with the capacity to enter quiescence also known as a dormant cellular state, which dictates the distinct tumorigenic aggressiveness between breast cancer and glioblastomas.

中文翻译：

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癌症干细胞休眠的表观遗传动力学

尽管早期诊断和治疗取得了重大进展，但癌症仍然是最具挑战性的疾病之一。癌性肿瘤由多种细胞类型组成，包括能够自我更新、增殖、分化和侵袭远端肿瘤部位的癌症干细胞。最值得注意的是，这些细胞可以进入对常规疗法有抵抗力的休眠细胞状态。因此，癌症干细胞具有肿瘤发生、肿瘤生长、转移和治疗后肿瘤复发的内在潜力。遗传和表观遗传的改变都归因于多种肿瘤类型的形成。本综述的重点是涉及 DNA 甲基化和 DNA 氧化的表观遗传动力学如何与乳腺癌和多形性胶质母细胞瘤有关。