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Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy
07:20

Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy

Published on: October 18, 2024

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Histone Modifications and their Role in Epigenetics of Cancer

Sumera Zaib1, Nehal Rana1, Imtiaz Khan2

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore-54590, Pakistan.

Current Medicinal Chemistry
|November 9, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Epigenetic modifications, like histone acetylation and methylation, alter gene expression, impacting cell function and leading to diseases such as cancer. Understanding these epigenetic changes is key to exploring disease mechanisms and potential therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Epigenetic regulations are vital for normal gene expression.
  • Alterations in epigenetic mechanisms, including histone and DNA modification, can cause diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review histone modifications and their contributing factors.
  • To explore the role of histone modifications in metabolism and cancer.
  • To examine the impact of histone methylation on DNA repair in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of epigenetic mechanisms.
  • Analysis of histone modifications (acetylation, methylation, etc.).
  • Examination of the link between histone modifications, metabolism, and cancer development.

Main Results:

  • Histone modifications alter DNA-protein interactions, affecting heterochromatin/euchromatin balance.
  • Terminal lysine residues on histones are key targets for epigenetic modifications.
  • Histone modifications are implicated in metabolic dysregulation and cancer progression.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic modifications, particularly histone modifications, are critical regulators of gene expression.
  • Dysregulation of these epigenetic processes contributes to disease pathogenesis, including cancer.
  • Further research into histone methylation's role in DNA repair is warranted for cancer therapy.
Keywords:
Cancerepigeneticseuchromatinheterochromatinphosphorylationribosylation

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