Cancer epigenetic therapy: recent advances, challenges, and emerging opportunities
Epigenetic dysregulation, as a result of alterations in epigenetic regulators, is a fundamental feature of many cancers. Research into cancer-specific mechanisms that lead to epigenetic dysregulation has been conducted over many years, resulting in significant progress in the field of drug discovery. This review article from Epigenomics discusses epigenetic dysregulation in cancer and the emerging opportunities, advances and challenges in developing cancer epigenetic therapies.
Abstract
Epigenetic dysregulation is an important nexus in the development and maintenance of human cancers. This review provides an overview of how understanding epigenetic dysregulation in cancers has led to insights for novel cancer therapy development. Over the past two decades, significant strides have been made in drug discovery efforts targeting cancer epigenetic mechanisms, leading to successes in clinical development and approval of cancer epigenetic therapeutics. This article will discuss the current therapeutic rationale guiding the discovery and development of epigenetic therapeutics, key learnings from clinical experiences and new opportunities on the horizon.