title: 5-hydroxymethylcytosine: a potential therapeutic target in cancer.
abstract: The ten-eleven translocation enzymes catalyze the conversion of 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, a distinct epigenetic mark that has an integral role in active demethylation. Genes that regulate the distribution and amount of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in the genome could be suitable therapeutic targets to correct abnormal methylation in cancer. Here, we present an overview of the role of the 5-hydroxymethylcytosine pathway in human disease and discuss the emergence of innovative techniques that can map the distribution of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at high resolution. In the context of current epigenetic therapies and by using recent functional studies, we propose plausible mechanisms to target the 5-hydroxymethylcytosine pathway in cancer. As the study of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine is still in its infancy, we provide future perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Euan J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Rodger
authors.forename: Aniruddha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Morison
mesh_terms: D044503:5-Methylcytosine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003596:Cytosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C011865:5-hydroxymethylcytosine; D044503:5-Methylcytosine; D003596:Cytosine; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases
keywords: 5-hydroxymethylcytosine; 5-methylcytosine; cancer; demethylation; epigenetic therapy; hydroxymethylation; methylation