Cancer epigenetics and epigenetical therapy

Gene expression mechanism are controlled and coordinated by epigenetic regulators, including histone modification, CpG-island methylation and chromatin looping. Imbalance of these epigenetic marks (epimutation) can lead to many anomalies including cancer. In recent years, research has suggested that cancer growth and survive through the combined effect of genetic (gene mutation) and epigenetic (epimutation) changes that ultimately reprogram the cell to undergo uncontrolled. After discovering the reversibility of epigenetic alterations, new perspective of cancer mechanisms and therapies have been opened. And the lists of novel therapies that work by reversing epigenetic effects (inhibition/activation based) are being increasingly explored. DNA methyltransferases inhibitors, histone deacetylases inhibitors and miRNAs have shown promising result in clinical trials both alone and in combination with other anticancer drugs. However, in this article we discussed the current understanding of epigenetic mechanisms of cancer development, and we also highlighted recent successes of the reversion in cancer epigenetics drug discovery.