Mapping Non-Coding Epimutations in Breast Cancer: Advancing Epigenetics Towards Precision Medicine.

Abstract

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. While extensive research has focused on mutations in protein-coding genes, emerging evidence underscores the pivotal role of the noncoding genome-including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs)-in tumorigenesis, progression, and therapeutic resistance. These noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are regulated through diverse epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation. Aberrant epigenetic modifications in noncoding regions can silence tumor suppressors or activate oncogenes, thereby reprogramming cellular behavior and contributing to breast cancer heterogeneity. High-throughput techniques like whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), ATAC-seq, and ChIP-seq have facilitated the discovery of noncoding epimutations with clinical significance. Moreover, ncRNA-based epigenetic alterations are increasingly explored as diagnostic biomarkers, prognostic indicators, and therapeutic targets, particularly in subtype-specific contexts such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and HER2-positive tumors. Despite advances, challenges remain in interpreting functional noncoding elements and translating findings into clinical interventions. This chapter provides a comprehensive examination of the noncoding epigenome in breast cancer, highlighting current methodologies, molecular mechanisms, and translational potential while also identifying future directions needed to leverage noncoding epigenetics for personalized cancer care.