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© Oxford University Press 2006.
NEWS |
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Sit at Crossroads of Diet, Aging, Cancer
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Tumor cells can harbor abnormalities not only in DNA but also in the chemical structure of protein complexes called histones, which keep DNA precisely coiled and tightly condensed. Until recently, these so-called epigenetic changes have not gotten much attention from drug developers. But now, with early clinical trials beginning to show promise, a whole new class of anticancer drugs called histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors is poised to become the first to specifically target epigenetic abnormalities.
The most advanced of the HDAC inhibitors is a compound called SAHA (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, now dubbed vorinostat), which has completed phase II testing. Following on the heels of SAHA's early promise, other pharmaceutical companies are now pursuing HDAC inhibitors as treatments. But investigators are also beginning to realize that there is much more to be uncovered. New research is identifying a web of molecular interactions that link HDAC activity to diet, premalignant cell changes,
Exploring Mechanisms
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