title: Chromatin-remodelling mechanisms in cancer.
abstract: Chromatin-remodelling mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone-tail acetylation, poly-ADP-ribosylation, and ATP-dependent chromatin-remodelling processes. Some epigenetic modifications among others have been observed in cancer cells, namely (1) local DNA hypermethylation and global hypomethylation, (2) alteration in histone acetylation/deacetylation balance, (3) increased or decreased poly-ADP-ribosylation, and (4) failures in ATP-dependent chromatin-remodelling mechanisms. Moreover, these alterations can influence the response to classical anti-tumour treatments. Drugs targeting epigenetic alterations are under development. Currently, DNA methylation and histone deacetylase inhibitors are in use in cancer therapy, and poly-ADP-ribosylation inhibitors are undergoing clinical trials. Epigenetic therapy is gaining in importance in pharmacology as a new tool to improve anti-cancer therapies.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Toxicology Department, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lafon-Hughes
authors.forename: María Vittoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Di Tomaso
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Méndez-Acuña
authors.forename: Wilner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Martínez-López
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006657:Histones; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases