DNA methylation is critical for gene silencing and is associated with the incidence of many diseases,
including cancer. Underlying molecular mechanisms of human diseases and tissue-specific gene
expression have been elucidated based on DNA methylation studies. This review highlights the
advantages and drawbacks of various methylation screening techniques: blotting, genomic sequencing,
bisulfite sequencing, methylation-specific PCR, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation, microarray
analysis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, nanowire transistor
detection procedure, quantum dot-based nanoassay, single-molecule real-time detection,
fluorimetric assay, electrochemical detection, and atomic force spectroscopy. The review provides insight
for selecting a method or a combination of methods for DNA methylation analysis. Convergence of
conventional and contemporary nanotechniques to enumerate methylation at speci
fic CpG sites of oncogene would fill the gap in diagnosis of cancer. (J Mol Diagn 2013, 15: 17e26; http://dx.doi.org/
10.1016/j.jmoldx.2012.06.007DNA methylation)
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