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Molecular Medicine Peer-reviewed scientific journal

Molecular Medicine

ОРИГИНАЛЬНОЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ2026, No. 5

EPIGENETIC CHANGES IN COLORECTAL CANCER: THE ROLE OF SEPT9 METHYLATION IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS OF THE DISEASE COURSE

Toropova A.V., Nazarov V.D., Lapin S.V., Zakharenko A.A., Ten O.A., Filatova I.A., Fedorova P.A., Devyatkin E.A., Musonova M.K., Slivinskiy D.S., Nikitina V.A.

Authors and affiliations

https://elibrary.ru/fowgvu A.V. Toropova(1), V.D. Nazarov(2), S.V. Lapin(2), A.A. Zakharenko(2), O.A. Ten(2), I.A. Filatova(2),

P.A. Fedorova(2), E.A. Devyatkin(2), M.K. Musonova(2), D.S. Slivinskiy(2), V.A. Nikitina(3)

1-Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Saint-Petersburg State Technological Institute (Technical University)”, Moskovsky Avenue, 24–26/49, letter A, 190013, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation; 2-Pavlov First Saint-Petersburg State

Medical University, Lva Tolstogo str., 6–8, Saint-Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation; 3-Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution

“Institute of Experimental Medicine”, Akademika Pavlova str., 12, Saint-Petersburg, 197376, Russian Federation

Pages
32–39
Published
2026
Section
ОРИГИНАЛЬНОЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ
Issue2026, No. 5Go to the issue →
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Abstract

Introduction. Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading oncological diseases, the development of which is accompanied by characteristic epigenetic changes. The most significant of these is the hypermethylation of the SEPT9 gene, detected both in tumor tissue and in circulating tumor DNA. This marker demonstrates a close relationship with lymph node damage and metastasis, which determines its value not only for diagnosis, but also for the staging of CRC, increasing the accuracy of risk stratification and the choice of treatment tactics.
The purpose of the study. To study the diagnostic significance of SEPT9 methylation in the blood of patients with CRC and its role in the staging of the tumor process.
Material and methods. The study included 24 patients with newly diagnosed CRC who underwent surgical treatment at Pavlov Moscow State Medical University in 2023-2024. Analysis of SEPT9 methylation in blood plasma was performed using the Real-time PCR-SEPT9-Met kit (BioLink, Russia).
Results. The overall detectability of SEPT9 methylation was 62.5% (15/24). In patients with metastases, the rate was significantly higher –
78.9%. In stages I–II, mSEPT9 was not detected at the current sample size, whereas in stages III–IV, a positive result was determined in 77.8–100% of cases. SEPT9 methylation correlated with lymph node damage: detectability was 85.7% for N1 and 60.0% for N2, absent at N0.
Conclusion. SEPT9 methylation holds significant promise as a biomarker for monitoring CRC metastasis and proper disease staging. Preliminary validation results of mSEPT9 have demonstrated its diagnostic value in the advanced stages of CRC, and its role in the initial stages requires further study.

Keywords

Authors and affiliations

https://elibrary.ru/fowgvu A.V. Toropova(1), V.D. Nazarov(2), S.V. Lapin(2), A.A. Zakharenko(2), O.A. Ten(2), I.A. Filatova(2),

P.A. Fedorova(2), E.A. Devyatkin(2), M.K. Musonova(2), D.S. Slivinskiy(2), V.A. Nikitina(3)

1-Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Saint-Petersburg State Technological Institute (Technical University)”, Moskovsky Avenue, 24–26/49, letter A, 190013, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation; 2-Pavlov First Saint-Petersburg State

Medical University, Lva Tolstogo str., 6–8, Saint-Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation; 3-Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution

“Institute of Experimental Medicine”, Akademika Pavlova str., 12, Saint-Petersburg, 197376, Russian Federation

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How to cite

Toropova A.V., Nazarov V.D., Lapin S.V., Zakharenko A.A., Ten O.A., Filatova I.A., Fedorova P.A., Devyatkin E.A., Musonova M.K., Slivinskiy D.S., Nikitina V.A. (2026). EPIGENETIC CHANGES IN COLORECTAL CANCER: THE ROLE OF SEPT9 METHYLATION IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS OF THE DISEASE COURSE. Molecular Medicine, 24(5), 32–39. https://doi.org/10.29296/24999490-2026-05-04

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