Global Reactivation of Epigenetically Silenced Genes in Prostate Cancer

Transcriptional silencing associated with aberrant promoter hypermethylation is a common mechanism of inactivation of tumor suppressor genes in cancer cells. To profile the genes silenced by hypermethylation in prostate cancer, we screened an expression microarray for genes reactivated in the LNCaP, DU-145, PC-3 and MDA2b prostate tumor cell lines after treatment with the demethylating drug 5-aza-2 deoxycytidine (5Aza-dC) and histone deacetylation inhibiting drug trichostatin A (TSA).