Genetic and Epigenetic Targets of Natural Dietary Compounds as Anticancer Agents

Abstract Cancer is a heterogenous disease characterized by changes in the expression of multiple genes caused by genetic alternations and epigenetic modifications. Studies of the changes in genetic pathways and epigenetic regulation in tumor development and progression have provided a large pool of potential targets for anticancer therapy. In recent decades, numerous natural dietary products, such as curcumin, theanine, luteolin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate, have been identified as anticancer lead molecules with the ability to affect gene expression through both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and have attracted considerable attentions in cancer treatment and prevention. This chapter focuses on the main genetic and epigenetic targets of anticancer dietary molecules, covering three of the most common genetic mutations (i.e. mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor, p53 and K-Ras) in cancer patients and epigenetic targets, such as DNA methyltransferases, histone deacetylases, histone acetyltransferases and changes in noncoding RNA expression. It summarizes miRNA dysregulation according to cancer type as well as the epigenetic targets of 11 common natural dietary compounds. The potential and current limitations of bioactive dietary molecules for the transition from laboratory to clinic in cancer management are also discussed.