Editorial: Molecular basis of epigenetic regulation in cancer therapies

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Editorial on the Research Topic Molecular basis of epigenetic regulation in cancer therapies 1 IntroductionCancer is not only a genetic disease, but it also comprehends epigenetic changes.Hanahan proposed non-mutational epigenetic reprogramming as an emerging cancer hallmark, applicable across multiple malignant tumors (Hanahan, 2022).As the reader can see in the articles contained in our research topic, non-mutational epigenetic programming is a common trait.As such, it promotes tumor development, is associated with a poor prognosis, and can be targeted for therapy.Castro-Oropeza and Pina-Sanchez comprehensively review the epigenetic alterations induced by human papillomavirus (HPV); conversely, Hurnik et al. review several epigenetic changes found in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (Hurnik et al.).Castro-Oropeza and Pina-Sanchez review focuses on alterations induced by HPV, while Hurnik's centers on the external factors of tobacco and alcohol on the development of HNSCC (Castro-Oropeza and Pina-Sanchez; Hurnik et al.).Nevertheless, both reviews show that alterations in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs promote the progression of seemingly unrelated tumors. Epigenetic regulation on cancerTumor heterogeneity is responsible for tumor cells possessing different sensibilities to environmental factors, growth, invasiveness, and response to treatment.Yu et al. analyzed the heterogeneity of bladder tumor cells by single-cell transcriptome sequencing.They obtained the data from samples previously uploaded to the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.With the information of about 12,000 cells analyzed, the authors identified different tumor lineages associated with patient survival.In particular, the EMT (Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition)like subtype exhibited the worst prognosis and showed enrichment in pathways involved with