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Updated: Jun 24, 2025

An Integrated Platform for Genome-wide Mapping of Chromatin States Using High-throughput ChIP-sequencing in Tumor Tissues
Published on: April 5, 2018
Breast cancer epigenetics: current and evolving treatment.
Sujata Purja1,2, Dung Thuy Nguyen3, Eunyoung Kim4,5,6,7
1Central Research Center of Epigenome Based Platform and Its Application for Drug Development, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
Epigenetic drugs show promise for breast cancer treatment, with increasing clinical trials focusing on HER2-negative subtypes. Combinations improve progression-free survival, paving the way for precision medicine.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Epigenetics
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Breast cancer (BC) treatment faces challenges from subtype-specific efficacy limitations and therapy resistance.
- Epigenetic plasticity, a dynamic and reversible process, significantly influences treatment outcomes.
- Understanding the evolving epigenetic landscape is crucial for developing novel BC therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively analyze the trends in breast cancer epigenetic clinical trials.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs) in BC treatment.
- To identify emerging strategies and promising drug candidates.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of BC epigenetic trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov until July 18, 2023.
- Retrieved randomized controlled trial results from registries and PubMed.
- Analyzed trial data focusing on drug types, combinations, administration, and patient populations.
Main Results:
- 22 epi-drugs investigated in 100 trials; 11 are in 38 ongoing BC trials.
- Histone deacetylase inhibitors represent 45.45% of pipeline agents.
- Ongoing trials focus on HER2-negative BC, often combining epi-drugs with other therapies.
- Tucidinostat and entinostat showed improved progression-free survival in Phase III trials for HR+/HER2- BC.
Conclusions:
- Growing interest in BC epigenetics indicates a move towards precision medicine.
- Robust evidence on efficacy and safety is necessary for continuous development and approval.
- Epigenetic therapies offer potential to address unmet needs in breast cancer treatment.
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