Minimal residual disease detection (MRD) methods and cancer patient’s stratification according to epigenetic profiling, going beyond current histopathological classifications, are major goals of modern personalized oncology. DNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) and RT-qPCR methods are implemented in the clinic and proved to have a positive impact on early detection of hematological malignancies.
In addition, the identification of disease regulatory networks and oncogenic drivers will enrich the repertoire of therapeutic targets and cancer knowledge. Malignancies are regulated by complex transcriptional networks, driven by oncogenic TFs interacting at multiple cis-acting genomic sequences. A fraction of TE integrants serve as regulatory elements of nearby genes, thus shaping the transcriptomic profile of cancer cells but also their normal physiological counterparts in a tissue-specific manner.