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Histone deacetylase inhibition as an anticancer telomerase‐targeting strategy
Author(s) -
Rahman Ruman,
Grundy Richard
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.26241
Subject(s) - epigenetics , histone deacetylase , cancer research , acetylation , histone , biology , telomerase , hdac1 , telomerase reverse transcriptase , cancer cell , cancer , gene , genetics
Aberrant epigenetic regulation of gene expression contributes to tumor initiation and progression. Studies from a plethora of hematologic and solid tumors support the use of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) as potent anticancer agents. The mechanism(s) of HDACi‐induced cancer growth inhibition and cell death are complex and incompletely elucidated. Here, we discuss erroneous epigenetic regulation of hTERT transcription in cancer cells and propose that alleviation of an improper acetylation–deacetylation balance at the hTERT promoter, is one mode by which HDACi induces anticancer effects. We conclude with some pertinent questions and future perspectives arising from the recent impetus in HDACi preclinical and early clinical studies, with particular attention to the cancer stem cell therapeutic paradigm and its relevance to tumor resistance.