Epigenetic basis and targeting of cancer metastasis

Abstract

Despite the development of novel therapeutic approaches and improved clinical management, survival from metastatic disease remains poor. Indeed, metastasis accounts for the vast majority of cancer-related deaths. The metastatic cascade comprises a complex range of molecular events that cannot be explained by genetic aberrations alone; dynamic, epigenetic regulatory mechanisms are now being implicated as key drivers of successful metastasis. With the emergence of CRISPR-based epigenomic editing, it is now possible to investigate the direct role of locus-specific epigenetic alterations in metastatic progression. Here, we review the role of epigenetic mechanisms in cancer metastasis, explore recent developments in technologies for epigenomic investigation, and highlight the emerging applications of epigenomic editing technologies in the clinical management of cancer.