表观遗传学(epigenetics)是分子生物学的一个重要分支,重点研究基因甲基化,组蛋白修饰等引起的基因表达的改变。近来研究显示,人乳头状瘤病毒(HPV)和细胞内基因组在宫颈癌各阶段都发生了改变,包括:整个基因的低甲基化,关键抑癌基因的高甲基化及组蛋白修饰,其表观改变发生在致癌过程的早期阶段。该研究进展有助于宫颈癌的早期诊断,也为分子靶向治疗宫颈癌提供了可能。 Epigenetics is an important branch of molecular biology that focuses on the changes of gene expression caused by gene methylation, histone modification and so on. Recent studies have shown that human papillomavirus (HPV) and intracellular genome have changed in all stages of cervical cancer, including: hypomethylation of the entire gene, hypermethylation of key tumor suppressor genes and histone modifications The concept of change occurs in the early stages of carcinogenesis. The progress of this study contributes to the early diagnosis of cervical cancer, but also provides the potential for molecular targeted therapy of cervical cancer.