Methods for DNA methylation analysis and applications in colon cancer

It is well established that epigenetic events, in an intimate cooperation with genetic events, are involved in every step of tumorigenesis. DNA methylation, which in mammals takes place in the cytosines that precede a guanine (CpG dinucleotide), is the most well-characterized epigenetic mark. The study of aberrant DNA methylation patterns, such as hypermethylation of CpG islands and global genomic hypomethylation, are common issues in the studies on all types of cancer, and as in other areas of molecular oncology, colorectal cancer has become a privileged target. Besides the great variety of technologies available for the analysis of DNA methylation, most methods are based on three principles: methylation-sensitive enzymes, bisulphite conversion of unmethylated cytosines and immunoprecipitation of 5-methylcytosines. By combining each one of these principles with other genomic methodologies, a large range of approaches aimed at the analysis of methylation from one specific CpG site to a large number of sequences on the genome scale and suitable for different research needs have been developed. The goal of this review is to describe the most widely used methylation methods in the study of cancer, as well as the potential clinical applications of DNA methylation biomarkers in colorectal cancer.