title: Targeting histone deacetylase in thyroid cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epigenetic changes have been detected in thyroid cancer cells, and evidence indicates that they may contribute to altered differentiation and proliferation of these cells. Histone acetylation/deacetylation represents a major mechanism for modulating the expression of genes, including those involved in neoplastic transformation, and drugs that inhibit histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity have displayed promising anti-tumor activity in many pre-clinical studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We provide a brief overview of the mechanisms underlying histone acetylation-mediated regulation of gene expression and the principal epigenetic alterations detected in thyroid cancer cells. The review then focuses on the results of pre-clinical and clinical studies (some still underway) in which HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) have been used to treat thyroid cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HDACs are a potentially important target for thyroid cancer treatments. Inhibition of HDAC activity has produced encouraging results in terms of reducing proliferation rates and restoring the iodine-uptake capacity in transformed thyrocytes. HDACi, especially when combined with other molecularly targeted drugs, may represent an important option for those tumors that are unresponsive to the currently available treatments.
authors.affiliation: University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Department of Health Sciences, Campus S. Venuta, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. d.russo@unicz.it
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Durante
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bulotta
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puppin
authors.forename: Efisio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puxeddu
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Filetti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Damante
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006655:Histone Deacetylases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D006657:Histones; D006655:Histone Deacetylases