Transcription and Cancer in Eukaryotes

Organisms demand pinpoint and correlated gene expression controls for growth, advancement, and operation. This control is also known as transcriptional regulation. It is a complicated process especially in eukaryotes since it is responsible for all biological processes. Transcription control and its concept were brought up about half a century ago1. These concepts gave a basic understanding on DNA binding transcription factors (trans-factors) which inhabit specific DNA sequences at control elements (cis-elements). They regulate transcription apparatus2. Mis-regulation of transcription may cause failure of gene expression that is responsible for cell division, through disproportionate activation of once positively acting transcriptional factors and nuclear oncogenes3. Epigenetic is learning heritable alterations in gene expression that do not occur and involve in DNA sequence. These changes can be established all the time almost randomly, and alternations are passed and inherited through cell division and replication, allowing cells to have different identities while having the same genetic sequence. Due to loss of epigenetic control and failure of keeping proper epigenetic marks, which result in inappropriate activation and will lead to disease state including cancer4. This review focuses on transcriptions, epigenetics, cancers, and potential therapies to regulate and control cancer cells.