Induced pluripotent stem cell technology for dissecting the cancer epigenome

Cancer arises through the accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic alterations. Although the causal role of genetic mutations on cancer development has been established in vivo, similar evidence for epigenetic alterations is limited. Moreover, mutual interactions between genetic mutations and epigenetic alterations remain unclear. Cellular reprogramming technology can be used to actively modify the epigenome without affecting the underlying genomic sequences. Here we introduce recent studies that have utilized this property for cancer research. We propose that just as it has potential for regenerative medicine and disease modeling, cell reprogramming could also be a powerful tool for dissecting the role of the cancer epigenome in the development and maintenance of cancer cells.