Radiation-induced DNA methylation profile changes and its impact on mechanisms of radiation carcinogenesis

More and more evidence has been accumulated to indicate that epigenetic mechanisms play a important role in carcinogenesis. However, the studies on epigenetic mechanisms of radiation carcinogenesis are at their dawn. Here the related concepts of DNA methylation and epigenetics were introduced, and summarized the studies on radiation-induced DNA methylation changes in recent years and its meaning to radiation carcinogenesis.