Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Genetics and Genomics

Abstract

This chapter introduces the genetics and genomics of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We introduce, in brief, findings leading to the current state of knowledge of what we know about the molecular genetic basis of NPC prior to new molecular advances in next-generation sequencing, which have allowed a more global view of the impact of genetic variations, epigenetic regulation, and cell signaling pathways that contribute to NPC development. Discussions on germline genetic predisposition for NPC include MST1R, HLA, telomere, and DNA repair studies, the subjects of which appear to play important roles in inherited NPC. Landscape methylome, genome, and transcriptome sequencing studies have identified important genes and cell signaling aberrations, providing new insights into the genomics of NPC. These studies all indicate the complex multifactorial nature of NPC development.