Figure 1.

Influence of DNA methylation on the tumor and tumor microenvironment. Cancers are characterized by extensive genomic hypomethylation that leads to chromosomal instability and oncogene activation. Focal hypermethylation of CpG islands at promoters leads to TSG silencing. Hypermethylation of gene bodies can lead to oncogene expression and alternative splicing leading to cancer-related isoforms of genes. In the tumor microenvironment DNA methylation can lead to altered immune cell fate and trafficking. DNA methylation also underpins epigenetic mechanisms of T-cell exhaustion. Created with Biorender.