title: Epigenetic targets in cancer and aging: dietary and therapeutic interventions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epigenetic regulation plays a critical role in normal growth and embryonic development by controlling the transcriptional activities of several genes. A growing number of epigenetic changes have been reported in the regulation of key genes involved in cancer and aging. Drugs with epigenetic modulatory activities, mainly histone deacetylase and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, have received wider attention in aging and cancer research.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review, we summarize the major epigenetic alterations in cancer and aging, with special emphasis on possible therapeutic targets and interventions by dietary as well as bioactive phytochemicals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some epigenetic-targeting drugs have received FDA approval and many others are undergoing different phases of clinical trials for cancer therapy. In addition to the synthetic compounds, several bioactive phytochemicals and dietary interventions, such as caloric restriction, have been shown to possess epigenetic modulatory activities in multiple cancers. These epigenetic modulators have been shown to delay aging and minimize the risk of cancer both in preclinical as well as clinical models. Therefore, knowledge of bioactive phytochemicals along with dietary interventions can be utilized for cancer prevention and therapy both alone and with existing drugs to achieve optimum efficacy.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Endocrinology , CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India.
authors.forename: Sajid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: a Division of Endocrinology , CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India.
authors.forename: Samriddhi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.affiliation: a Division of Endocrinology , CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India.
authors.forename: Sonam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.affiliation: a Division of Endocrinology , CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India.
authors.forename: Syed Musthapa
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Meeran
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases
keywords: Aging; DNA methylation; cancer; epigenetics; histone modifications; miRNA; oncogenes; phytochemicals; tumor suppressors