Epigenetics: Promising journey so far but ways to go in head neck cancer.

During the past decade, there has been a significant increase in knowledge regarding the molecular biology and epigenetics of head and neck carcer. Despite much effort to identify biomarkers for the early detection and development of new therapies for head and neck carcer, the overall survival and prognosis remain poor. Many studies show that epigenetic events play an important role in head and neck carcer development and progression, including DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, histone posttranslational covalent modifications, and effects of non-coding RNA. Epigenetic modifications influence silencing of tumor suppressor genes by promoter hypermethylation, regulate transcription by microRNAs and changes in chromatin structure, or induce genome instability through hypomethylation. getting to better understand aberrant patterns of methylation may provide biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis, while knowledge about target genes of microRNAs may improve the therapy of head and neck carcer and extend overall survival.