title: Biotechnologies and therapeutics: chromatin as a target.
abstract: As alterations in gene expression underlie a considerable proportion of human diseases, correcting such aberrant transcription in vivo is expected to provide therapeutic benefit to the patient. Attempts to control endogenous mammalian genes, however, face a significant obstacle in the form of chromatin. Aberrant gene repression can be alleviated by using small-molecule inhibitors that exert nucleus-wide effects on chromatin-based repressors. Genome-wide chromatin remodeling also occurs during cloning via nuclear transfer, and causes the deregulation of epigenetically controlled genes. Regulation of genes in vivo can be accomplished via the use of designed transcription factors - these result from a fusion of a designed DNA-binding domain based on the zinc finger protein motif to a functional domain of choice.
authors.affiliation: Sangamo Biosciences, Pt Richmond Tech Center, 501 Canal Blvd, Suite A100, Richmond, California 94804, USA.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reik
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: Fyodor D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Urnov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019976:Cloning, Organism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D006655:Histone Deacetylases / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D019076:Transgenes / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D005914:Globins; D006655:Histone Deacetylases