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J Gastroenterol Dig Dis 2017 | Volume 2, Issue 3
World Gastroenterological &
Gastroenterology and Endoscopy
October 30-31, 2017 | Toronto, Canada
World Congress on
Methylation markers in colorectal cancer: Current updates and future prospective
Ahmed Khamas Alhumairi
Ibn Alhaitham Medical Center, Oman
C
olorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly
diagnosed cancer in males and the second in females
and the fourth most common cause of death worldwide
with a major impact on societies across the globe.
Effective prevention methods that include early diagnostic
tests through screening programs are necessary to
reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Both genetic and
epigenetic alterations can cooperate in CRC initiation and
progression. DNA methylation, histone modifications,
and microRNA expression are epigenetic alterations in
cancer. Aberrant DNA methylation changes, that are both
stable and inheritable, occur early in carcinogenesis, thus
it could be used as a noninvasive biomarkers for early
detection and prognosis of cancers. In addition, methylation
biomarkers can help in predicting response or resistance to
chemotherapy. Reversibility of DNA methylation is another
feature that was used to discover epigenetic drugs currently
in use for the treatment of patients with hematological
malignancies. However, the use of methylation biomarkers
in CRC is still inadequate due to certain factors such as our
incomplete knowledge about patterns of DNA methylation,
methods of detection, specimens type (tissue, stool, and
blood), and cancer heterogeneity. Therefore, we are still in
need for further randomised clinical trials and large-scale
investigations, especially in different populations in order
to identify specific, sensitive, and cost effective methylation
biomarkers for CRC. The aim of this presentation is to discuss
the recent findings in the field of methylation biomarkers in
CRC and to delineate future challenges for the field.
Speaker Biography
Ahmed Khamas Alhumairi received his MBChB (2004) in Medicine from University
of Baghdad and Ph.D. from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, TMDU, in Medical
Science (2012). He recently joined Ibn-Alhaytham Medical Center, Ibra, Oman as a GP
and was the head of continuing medical education at the Garmyan Health Directorate,
Sulaimaniya, Iraq. Prior to joining the doctoral course in 2008, he was a research student
at TMDU (2007-2008). His areas of research interest include epigenetics and its role in
cancer development, discovery of tumor suppressor genes inactivated by methylation,
methylation control of renewal and differentiation in cancer stem cells, methylation
silenced miRNA genes and how it can represent a novel target for epigenetic drugs in
cancer. He is a member of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) and
Cancer Epigenetics Society (CES).
e:
ahmedalhemeri@yahoo.com