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Cancers
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Epigenetic Therapy: The State of Play in Highly Aggressive Diseases
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Epigenetic Therapy: The State of Play in Highly Aggressive Diseases

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 17356

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Sudha Rao

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Guest Editor
Gene Regulation and Translational Medicine Laboratory, Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006, Australia
Interests: epigenetics; immunotherapy; translational medicine; immuno-oncology; breast cancer; LSD1; SETB-1
Dr. Jenny Dunn

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Guest Editor
Gene Regulation and Translational Medicine Laboratory, Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006
Interests: epigenetics; immunotherapy; translational medicine; immuno-oncology; breast cancer; LSD1; SETB-1

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many different classes of epigenetic enzymes have been implicated in the metastasis of highly aggressive cancers. Specific epigenetic enzymes, such as SETB1, LSD1, and G9a, have also been shown to regulate metastatic processes via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and confer resistance against standard therapies. Therefore, therapeutic targeting of these epigenetic enzymes offers the ability to re-educate aggressive cancer stem cells, which are highly associated with EMT and cancer stem cell (CSC) formation. In this Special Issue, we will discuss the basic biology of specific classes of epigenetic drugs, including histone methyltransferases, histone demethylases, and histone deacetylases, and the role of these enzymes in cancers metastasis and other aggressive diseases; we will analyze the current contribution of different epigenetic classes of drugs in immune-oncology and immunotherapy; and we will also discuss the implications of these epigenetic drugs in current clinical trials and the limitations that these clinical trials have experienced. We will also discuss how our understanding of these epigenetic inhibitors may be utilized to develop new classes of drugs that are highly selective and effective in highly aggressive cancers. Furthermore, in this Special Issue we will discuss how advances in epigenetic drug development can extend beyond immuno-oncology and be applied to the treatment of other autoimmune and infectious diseases.

Prof. Dr. Sudha Rao
Dr. Jenny Dunn
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • epigenetic enzymes
  • EMT
  • CSC
  • immunotherapy
  • immuno-oncology

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3759 KiB  
Article
EZH2 and KDM6B Expressions Are Associated with Specific Epigenetic Signatures during EMT in Non Small Cell Lung Carcinomas
by Camille Lachat, Diane Bruyère, Amandine Etcheverry, Marc Aubry, Jean Mosser, Walid Warda, Michaël Herfs, Elodie Hendrick, Christophe Ferrand, Christophe Borg, Régis Delage-Mourroux, Jean-Paul Feugeas, Michaël Guittaut, Eric Hervouet and Paul Peixoto
Cancers 2020, 12(12), 3649; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12123649 - 05 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2608
Abstract
The role of Epigenetics in Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) has recently emerged. Two epigenetic enzymes with paradoxical roles have previously been associated to EMT, EZH2 (Enhancer of Zeste 2 Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) Subunit), a lysine methyltranserase able to add the H3K27me3 [...] Read more.
The role of Epigenetics in Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) has recently emerged. Two epigenetic enzymes with paradoxical roles have previously been associated to EMT, EZH2 (Enhancer of Zeste 2 Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) Subunit), a lysine methyltranserase able to add the H3K27me3 mark, and the histone demethylase KDM6B (Lysine Demethylase 6B), which can remove the H3K27me3 mark. Nevertheless, it still remains unclear how these enzymes, with apparent opposite activities, could both promote EMT. In this study, we evaluated the function of these two enzymes using an EMT-inducible model, the lung cancer A549 cell line. ChIP-seq coupled with transcriptomic analysis showed that EZH2 and KDM6B were able to target and modulate the expression of different genes during EMT. Based on this analysis, we described INHBB, WTN5B, and ADAMTS6 as new EMT markers regulated by epigenetic modifications and directly implicated in EMT induction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetic Therapy: The State of Play in Highly Aggressive Diseases)
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Review

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32 pages, 1431 KiB  
Review
Epigenetics in Breast Cancer Therapy—New Strategies and Future Nanomedicine Perspectives
by Verona Buocikova, Ivan Rios-Mondragon, Eleftherios Pilalis, Aristotelis Chatziioannou, Svetlana Miklikova, Michal Mego, Karlis Pajuste, Martins Rucins, Naouale El Yamani, Eleonora Marta Longhin, Arkadij Sobolev, Muriel Freixanet, Victor Puntes, Aiva Plotniece, Maria Dusinska, Mihaela Roxana Cimpan, Alena Gabelova and Bozena Smolkova
Cancers 2020, 12(12), 3622; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12123622 - 03 Dec 2020
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 6677
Abstract
Epigenetic dysregulation has been recognized as a critical factor contributing to the development of resistance against standard chemotherapy and to breast cancer progression via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Although the efficacy of the first-generation epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs) in solid tumor management has been disappointing, there [...] Read more.
Epigenetic dysregulation has been recognized as a critical factor contributing to the development of resistance against standard chemotherapy and to breast cancer progression via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Although the efficacy of the first-generation epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs) in solid tumor management has been disappointing, there is an increasing body of evidence showing that epigenome modulation, in synergy with other therapeutic approaches, could play an important role in cancer treatment, reversing acquired therapy resistance. However, the epigenetic therapy of solid malignancies is not straightforward. The emergence of nanotechnologies applied to medicine has brought new opportunities to advance the targeted delivery of epi-drugs while improving their stability and solubility, and minimizing off-target effects. Furthermore, the omics technologies, as powerful molecular epidemiology screening tools, enable new diagnostic and prognostic epigenetic biomarker identification, allowing for patient stratification and tailored management. In combination with new-generation epi-drugs, nanomedicine can help to overcome low therapeutic efficacy in treatment-resistant tumors. This review provides an overview of ongoing clinical trials focusing on combination therapies employing epi-drugs for breast cancer treatment and summarizes the latest nano-based targeted delivery approaches for epi-drugs. Moreover, it highlights the current limitations and obstacles associated with applying these experimental strategies in the clinics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetic Therapy: The State of Play in Highly Aggressive Diseases)
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18 pages, 1422 KiB  
Review
Advances in Histone Demethylase KDM3A as a Cancer Therapeutic Target
by Jung Yoo, Yu Hyun Jeon, Ha Young Cho, Sang Wu Lee, Go Woon Kim, Dong Hoon Lee and So Hee Kwon
Cancers 2020, 12(5), 1098; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12051098 - 28 Apr 2020
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 4511
Abstract
Lysine-specific histone demethylase 3 (KDM3) subfamily proteins are H3K9me2/me1 histone demethylases that promote gene expression. The KDM3 subfamily primarily consists of four proteins (KDM3A−D). All four proteins contain the catalytic Jumonji C domain (JmjC) at their C-termini, but whether KDM3C has demethylase activity [...] Read more.
Lysine-specific histone demethylase 3 (KDM3) subfamily proteins are H3K9me2/me1 histone demethylases that promote gene expression. The KDM3 subfamily primarily consists of four proteins (KDM3A−D). All four proteins contain the catalytic Jumonji C domain (JmjC) at their C-termini, but whether KDM3C has demethylase activity is under debate. In addition, KDM3 proteins contain a zinc-finger domain for DNA binding and an LXXLL motif for interacting with nuclear receptors. Of the KDM3 proteins, KDM3A is especially deregulated or overexpressed in multiple cancers, making it a potential cancer therapeutic target. However, no KDM3A-selective inhibitors have been identified to date because of the lack of structural information. Uncovering the distinct physiological and pathological functions of KDM3A and their structure will give insight into the development of novel selective inhibitors. In this review, we focus on recent studies highlighting the oncogenic functions of KDM3A in cancer. We also discuss existing KDM3A-related inhibitors and review their potential as therapeutic agents for overcoming cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetic Therapy: The State of Play in Highly Aggressive Diseases)
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Other

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28 pages, 809 KiB  
Systematic Review
Isolated Pancreatic Metastases of Renal Cell Cancer: Genetics and Epigenetics of an Unusual Tumour Entity
by Franz Sellner, Sabine Thalhammer and Martin Klimpfinger
Cancers 2022, 14(6), 1539; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14061539 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2920
Abstract
Isolated pancreatic metastases of renal cell carcinoma (isPMRCC) are a rare manifestation of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) characterized by two peculiarities: (1). The definite or at least long-term exclusive occurrence of metastases in the pancreas and (2). an unusual low tumour aggressiveness [...] Read more.
Isolated pancreatic metastases of renal cell carcinoma (isPMRCC) are a rare manifestation of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) characterized by two peculiarities: (1). The definite or at least long-term exclusive occurrence of metastases in the pancreas and (2). an unusual low tumour aggressiveness with slow tumour progression and consecutive, good treatment results. According to current knowledge, the exclusive occurrence of pancreatic metastases is due to a highly specific and highly selective seed and soil mechanism, which does not allow metastases settlement outside the pancreas, and whose detailed genetic/epigenetic causes are not yet elucidated. Recent studies have shed light on some of the pathways involved for the protracted course of the disease and highlighted a special genetic profile (lack of loss of 9p, lower weight genome instability index, low frequency of BAP1 alterations, and a high frequency of PBRM1 loss), which deviates from the conventional mRCC profile. Finally, the question of the reasons for the long-term relative genetic stability of the involved cell clones, which is an essential prerequisite for a favourable prognosis, remains unanswered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetic Therapy: The State of Play in Highly Aggressive Diseases)
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