[iPS Cell Technology for Dissecting Mechanisms of Cancer Development].

Seminal studies by Dr. Shinya Yamanaka revealed that reprogramming technology was able to convert differentiated somatic cells to self-renewing and pluripotent stem cells. Although reprogramming process does not require changes in the genome information, cellular reprogramming elicits dynamic changes of epigenetic regulation. Therefore, reprogramming technology is a powerful tool for the modifying epigenetic regulation. Previous studies have reported that epigenetic regulation plays a critical role on both the development and maintenance of cancer cells. Taking advantage of reprogramming technology, previous studies have actively modified the epigenome of cancer cells and revealed the importance of the coordinated interactions between genetic abnormalities and epigenetic regulation in cancer cells. In this review, we describe advances and challenges in the use of reprogramming technology for studying cancer biology.