title: Pharmacological inhibition of histone deacetylases for the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and inflammatory diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Histone deacetylases (HDACs) constitute a family of enzymes that deacetylate histones and other cellular proteins. They are major regulators of transcription and are also important in other cellular processes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The review provides an updated summary of HDAC pharmacological inhibition in clinical oncology, as well as in preclinical studies on inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HDAC inhibition is a validated approach in cancer therapy, as evidenced by the approval of vorinostat and by encouraging clinical data from various HDAC inhibitors. Moreover, preclinical proof-of-concept studies are emerging from animal models for non-oncologic diseases, including inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. The identification of the appropriate target spectrum and the development of class- or isotype-selective inhibitors will be central events in the future.
authors.affiliation: MethylGene, Inc., 7220 Frederick-Banting, Montreal, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonfils
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Walkinshaw
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Besterman
authors.forename: Xiang-Jiao
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zuomei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li