Epigenetic drugs in cancer therapy.

IF 7.7 2区医学 Q1 ONCOLOGY

Cancer and Metastasis Reviews Pub Date : 2025-02-26 DOI:10.1007/s10555-025-10253-7

Amila Suraweera, Kenneth J O'Byrne, Derek J Richard

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Genetic and epigenetic modifications of DNA are involved in cancer initiation and progression. Epigenetic modifications change chromatin structure and DNA accessibility and thus affect DNA replication, DNA repair and transcription. Epigenetic modifications are reversible and include DNA methylation, histone acetylation and histone methylation. DNA methylation is catalysed by DNA methyltransferases, histone acetylation and deacetylation are catalysed by histone acetylases and deacetylases, while histone methylation is catalysed by histone methyltransferases. Epigenetic modifications are dysregulated in several cancers, making them cancer therapeutic targets. Epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs) which are inhibitors of epigenetic modifications and include DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi), histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), histone methyltransferase inhibitors (HMTi) and bromodomain and extra-terminal motif protein inhibitors (BETi), have demonstrated clinical success as anti-cancer agents. Furthermore, the combination of epi-drugs with standard chemotherapeutic agents has demonstrated promising anti-cancer effects in pre-clinical and clinical settings. In this review, we discuss the role of epi-drugs in cancer therapy and explore their current and future use in combination with other anti-cancer agents used in the clinic. We further highlight the side effects and limitations of epi-drugs. We additionally discuss novel delivery methods and novel tumour epigenetic biomarkers for the screening, diagnosis and development of personalised cancer treatments, in order to reduce off-target toxicity and improve the specificity and anti-tumour efficacy of epi-drugs.

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来源期刊

Cancer and Metastasis Reviews 医学-肿瘤学

CiteScore

17.00

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Contemporary biomedical research is on the threshold of an era in which physiological and pathological processes can be analyzed in increasingly precise and mechanistic terms.The transformation of biology from a largely descriptive, phenomenological discipline to one in which the regulatory principles can be understood and manipulated with predictability brings a new dimension to the study of cancer and the search for effective therapeutic modalities for this disease. Cancer and Metastasis Reviews provides a forum for critical review and discussion of these challenging developments. A major function of the journal is to review some of the more important and interesting recent developments in the biology and treatment of malignant disease, as well as to highlight new and promising directions, be they technological or conceptual. Contributors are encouraged to review their personal work and be speculative.