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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Assays for Validating Histone Acetyltransferase Inhibitors
Published on: August 6, 2020
Inhibition of histone deacetylases in cancer therapy: lessons from leukaemia
Elena Ceccacci1,2, Saverio Minucci1,2
1Department of Experimental Oncology and Drug Development Program, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy.
Abstract:
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a key component of the epigenetic machinery regulating gene expression, and behave as oncogenes in several cancer types, spurring the development of HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) as anticancer drugs. This review discusses new results regarding the role of HDACs in cancer and the effect of HDACi on tumour cells, focusing on haematological malignancies, particularly acute myeloid leukaemia. Histone deacetylases may have opposite roles at different stages of tumour progression and in different tumour cell sub-populations (cancer stem cells), highlighting the importance of investigating these aspects for further improving the clinical use of HDACi in treating cancer.
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