Histone Deacetylases and Their Inhibitors in Cancer Epigenetics
Department of Biology, College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ 07960, USA
Diseases 2019, 7(4), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases7040057
Received: 21 August 2019 / Revised: 25 October 2019 / Accepted: 30 October 2019 / Published: 1 November 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Disease)
Histone deacetylases (HDAC) and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have greatly impacted the war on cancer. Their role in epigenetics has significantly altered the development of anticancer drugs used to treat the most rare, persistent forms of cancer. During transcription, HDAC and HDACi are used to regulate the genetic mutations found in cancerous cells by removing and/or preventing the removal of the acetyl group on specific histones. This activity determines the relaxed or condensed conformation of the nucleosome, changing the accessibility zones for transcription factors. These modifications lead to other biological processes for the cell, including cell cycle progression, proliferation, and differentiation. Each HDAC and HDACi class or group has a distinctive mechanism of action that can be utilized to halt the progression of cancerous cell growth. While the use of HDAC- and HDACi-derived compounds are relatively new in treatment of cancers, they have a proven efficacy when the appropriately utilized. This following manuscript highlights the mechanisms of action utilized by HDAC and HDACi in various cancer, their role in epigenetics, current drug manufacturers, and the impact predicative modeling systems have on cancer therapeutic drug discovery.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Hassell, K.N. Histone Deacetylases and Their Inhibitors in Cancer Epigenetics. Diseases 2019, 7, 57. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases7040057
AMA Style
Hassell KN. Histone Deacetylases and Their Inhibitors in Cancer Epigenetics. Diseases. 2019; 7(4):57. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases7040057
Chicago/Turabian StyleHassell, Kelly N. 2019. "Histone Deacetylases and Their Inhibitors in Cancer Epigenetics" Diseases 7, no. 4: 57. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases7040057
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