Breast cancer arises as a result of abnormal breast cells forming at an uncontrolled
rate. Death in this case of breast cancer is due to the ability of cancer cells to adapt
so that it can have an effect on metastasis and recurrence of cancer that was
previously thought to have been resolved. The results showed, there is a stem cell
population in breast cancer cases which will cause breast cancer to become
increasingly difficult to treat. Such cells are known as breast cancer stem cells.
Breast cancer cells have the ability to differentiate and contribute greatly to the
breast cancer program, as well as to resistance to therapy. Therefore, epigenetic
regulation of breast cancer cells is important to study in order to overcome cancer
so that it can overcome progression and resistance to cancer therapy being carried
out.
Epigenetic regulation that has been known in cancer cases includes DNA
methylation, histone acetylation, histone methylation and epigenetic regulation by
miRNA. DNA methylation is the addition of a methyl group to the nitrogen base of
DNA cytosine which will force the DNA transcription process. Acetylation of the
addition of an acetyl group at the end of the histone causes reduced chromatin
condensation so that it will activate the transcription process. Methylation histones
will also suppress transcription so that genes cannot be expressed. In addition, there
is also a small RNA molecule known as miRNA which can bind to the transcribed
mRNA. This binding will cause the mRNA to degrade or inhibit its translation.