Epigenetic Regulation of Medulloblastoma Proliferation by Finasteride-Induced Modulation of BTG2 and CD244 Gene Methylation

ID 52461 Poster Board 45 Medulloblastoma is a common childhood malignant brain tumor occurring mostly in the cerebellum. B-cell translocation gene (BTG2) is a p53 transcriptional target gene that functions as a coactivator-corepressor and/or an adaptor molecule that modulates the activities of its interacting proteins. BTG2 is an inhibitor of proliferation and differentiation of medulloblastoma cells, while CD244 is an upregulator of natural killer cells in medulloblastoma. In prior work aimed at determining the epigenetic effects of finasteride, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, on Leydig cells, we noted the effect of finasteride on the methylation of the BTG2 and CD244 genes. Results demonstrated that finasteride upregulated BTG2 and CD244 gene expression through differential methylation. We therefore suggest that the increased expression of the BTG2 and CD244 genes by finasteride should be investigated further as a potential treatment for medulloblastoma.