About this Research Topic
Pharmacogenetics and pharmacoepigenetics are the multidisciplinary research areas of “personalized genomic medicine” that refer to new drugs based on a patient’s individual genetics and epigenetics profile. Genetic mutations like point mutations and polymorphisms in epigenetic modifications, posttranscriptional modifications, non-coding RNA modifications and chromatin remodeling could allow oncologists to predict the efficacy and toxicity of drugs. Consequently, strategies to overcome drug resistance in cancer need to take into full account how to balance the genetics and epigenetics arms of different molecular cascades. Here, we will discuss the potential role of molecular targeted therapy in the personalized genomic medicine setting, to identify novel therapeutic targets and suitable agents. A better understanding of genomics and epigenetics in oncology will open new opportunities for the development of novel therapeutic strategies, as well as will define new approaches to overcome drug resistance and enhance efficacy in cancers treatment.
This Research Topic aims to discover the most up to date genetics and epigenetics research with the acquisition and understanding of molecular-targeted therapies in oncology. Targeting both genetics and epigenetics mediators in cancer drug resistance may lead to the discovery of new treatment strategies for anti-cancer therapy. In this regard, discovery of molecular markers/signatures could help us to further characterize the “Right” drug to the “Right” patient in the “Right” time with the “Right” route. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to consider both genetic and epigenetic aspects in conjunction with molecular biology systems; which may further increase the success of pharmacogenetics and pharmacoepigenetics in treating cancer patients. Besides to the design of highly selective drugs based on a patient’s individual genetic and epigenetic profile, or on the individual genetic profile of tumour, array-based techniques and genome-wide studies seem to be fundamental.
The Research Topic includes, but is not limited to, the following themes:
• The genetic and epigenetic customization of cancer patients.
• The use of combined knowledge (genetics and epigenetics) about a person to predict treatment response and thereby improve cancer patient health.
• Targeting molecules and pathways involved in cancer progress for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
• Research focused on “-omics”-based technologies used for personalized medicine.
• Providing “the right treatment to the right cancer patient at the right time”; a variation of this is “therapy with the right drug at the right dose in the right cancer patient.
This Research Topic aims to discover the most up to date genetics and epigenetics research with the acquisition and understanding of molecular-targeted therapies in oncology. Targeting both genetics and epigenetics mediators in cancer drug resistance may lead to the discovery of new treatment strategies for anti-cancer therapy. In this regard, discovery of molecular markers/signatures could help us to further characterize the “Right” drug to the “Right” patient in the “Right” time with the “Right” route. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to consider both genetic and epigenetic aspects in conjunction with molecular biology systems; which may further increase the success of pharmacogenetics and pharmacoepigenetics in treating cancer patients. Besides to the design of highly selective drugs based on a patient’s individual genetic and epigenetic profile, or on the individual genetic profile of tumour, array-based techniques and genome-wide studies seem to be fundamental.
The Research Topic includes, but is not limited to, the following themes:
• The genetic and epigenetic customization of cancer patients.
• The use of combined knowledge (genetics and epigenetics) about a person to predict treatment response and thereby improve cancer patient health.
• Targeting molecules and pathways involved in cancer progress for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
• Research focused on “-omics”-based technologies used for personalized medicine.
• Providing “the right treatment to the right cancer patient at the right time”; a variation of this is “therapy with the right drug at the right dose in the right cancer patient.
Keywords: Cancer, Molecular targeted therapy, Pharmacogenetics, Pharmacoepigenetics, Signaling pathways, Drug resistance
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
