Developments in Epigenetic Cancer Therapeutics

Epigenetic changes can regulate the activity of the gene without altering the DNA sequence. Acetylation, methylation, and succinylation are the Epigenetic mechanisms, which play vital roles in numerous biological processes, such as regulation of neurons, hematopoiesis, bone cell maturation, and metabolism. Epigenetic changes are reversible and have a role in human diseases. Epigenetic changes are DNA methylation and histone modification. DNA methylation means the addition of methyl groups to DNA which may influence gene activities based on their genetic sequence. Histone modification makes the DNA accessible to proteins for reading genes. It may also be possible to carry the epigenetic changes to the future generation. Initially, the causes of cancer were believed to be a series of genetic aberrations, mutation of oncogenes, and tumor suppressor genes. Recent evidences suggest that epigenetic errors lead to diseases like cancers, degenerative diseases, and metabolic disorders. Cancer epigenetics explain a wide range of changes in gene expression, which do not come from any alteration in DNA sequences. Nowadays, epigenetic developments are rational targets for therapeutical approaches for cancers especially.