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Breast cancer is among the most prevalent of cancers diagnosed within women worldwide [1]. To this end, much effort has been directed towards the research and development of viable methods for treating the disease. While treatment of breast cancer is both important and necessary, investigation of means for preventing the disease is of equal significance. In order to prevent the development of breast cancer, it is important that we understand the normal breast. The differentiation of the mammary gland during pregnancy is a key event that provides protection from neoplasia [2, 3]. At the heart of lobular differentiation is a specific pattern of gene expression induced by pregnancy [4–8]. Here, we report a methodological approach to understand the unique methylation profiles within the parous and nulliparous postmenopausal breast. We consider that an epigenomic signature of pregnancy, combined with our knowledge of the transcriptomic signature, may provide a comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of mammary differentiation. In this chapter, we discuss some of the paradigms in order to provide a better understanding of our data on the epigenetic basis of breast cancer prevention. |
