Promoter hypermethylation and CpG island methylator phenotype in colorectal carcinogenesis

: Amino acid alterations or insufficient protein synthesis caused by the mutation on genes has long been recognized as the main mechanism of silencing of suppressor genes leading to carcinogenesis. However, epigenetic silencing of the cancer related genes induced by hyper-methylation of promoter is recognized as an additional important molecular mechanism for carcinogenesis. Differing molecular mechanisms of colorectal carcinogenesis have become known after advanced understanding of genes silenced by promoter methylation.