Recent progress in the development of assays suited for histone deacetylase inhibitor screening

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have an unprecedented potential to occupy a major position in the future market of anticancer agents. However, progress in the development of these new chemotherapeutics is largely dependent on the existence of bioassays well-suited for inhibitor screening. Herein, we summarize recent developments in HDAC assay technology and, particularly, discuss different assay types with respect to their suitability for high-throughput screening programs.