Glossary+of+Terms

Complementary therapy: Additional treatment for cancer provided after primary treatment to lower risk of disease recurrence. CpG sites: CpG sites are another term for regions of DNA with cytosine guanine alternating stretches. Epigenetic regulation: Changes affecting gene activity that are not a product of active changes in the DNA sequence. Methylation: The addition of methyl groups to a particular region or substrate. Methyl CpG binding domain (MBD): A protein that binds to DNA regions containing one or more methylated CpG sites. Oncogene: A gene capable of enabling Cancer development Paralogue: A pair of genes that share derivation from the same ancestral gene, however they are then capable of residing in different locations and assuming different functions. Polycomb group proteins: A family of proteins capable of remodeling chromatin to effect epigenetic repression or silencing. Sporadic mutations: Mutations that are acquired, not inherited. TP53 gene: Enables the production of tumor protein p53, this protein serves as a tumor suppressor. Tumor suppressor gene: A gene that inhibits cells from proceeding down the cancerous pathway.

References: 1. //Encyclopedia Britannica Online //. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 23 May 2014.