Testicular germ cell tumors and infertility: Exploring epigenetic dysregulation in the journey of the male germ cell towards new biomarkers and therapeutics

IF 9.7 1区医学 Q1 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer Pub Date : 2025-09-01 DOI:10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189437

Bruno Oliveira-Lopes , Nuno Tiago Tavares , Rui Henrique , Carmen Jerónimo , João Lobo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The development of male germ cells comprises a series of differentiation events that culminate in the formation of spermatozoa. From the primordial germ cell (PGC) to the spermatid, an array of epigenetic events take place in different stages of life. Disruptions in these mechanisms due to external factors can ultimately lead to decreased fertility and to testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs). In this review, we highlight how DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) contribute to normal male germ cell development and discuss how disturbances in this epigenetic machinery can compromise fertility and induce neoplasia. Furthermore, the bidirectional relationship between infertility and TGCTs is discussed. Finally, we disclose the utility of “epidrugs” and ncRNAs as promising therapeutic options and TGCT biomarkers, respectively.

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睾丸生殖细胞肿瘤和不孕症：探索男性生殖细胞向新的生物标志物和治疗的旅程中的表观遗传失调

男性生殖细胞的发育包括一系列分化事件，最终形成精子。从原始生殖细胞（PGC）到精细胞，一系列的表观遗传事件发生在生命的不同阶段。外部因素对这些机制的破坏最终会导致生育能力下降和睾丸生殖细胞肿瘤（tgct）。在这篇综述中，我们强调了DNA甲基化，组蛋白修饰和非编码rna （ncRNAs）如何促进正常的男性生殖细胞发育，并讨论了这种表观遗传机制的干扰如何损害生育能力和诱导肿瘤。此外，还讨论了不孕与tgct的双向关系。最后，我们分别揭示了“外药物”和ncrna作为有希望的治疗选择和TGCT生物标志物的效用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer 医学-生化与分子生物学

CiteScore

17.20

自引率

0.00%

发文量

138

审稿时长

33 days

期刊介绍： Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews on Cancer encompasses the entirety of cancer biology and biochemistry, emphasizing oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, growth-related cell cycle control signaling, carcinogenesis mechanisms, cell transformation, immunologic control mechanisms, genetics of human (mammalian) cancer, control of cell proliferation, genetic and molecular control of organismic development, rational anti-tumor drug design. It publishes mini-reviews and full reviews.