title: Epigenetic regulation of immune checkpoints: another target for cancer immunotherapy?
abstract: Epigenetic changes in oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes contribute to carcinogenesis. Understanding the epigenetic and genetic components of tumor immune evasion is crucial. Few cancer genetic mutations have been linked to direct correlations with immune evasion. Studies on the epigenetic modulation of the immune checkpoints have revealed a critical interaction between epigenetic and immune modulation. Epigenetic modifiers can activate many silenced genes. Some of them are immune checkpoints regulators that turn on immune responses and others turn them off resulting in immune evasion. Many forms of epigenetic inheritance mechanisms may play a role in regulation of immune checkpoints including: covalent modifications, noncoding RNA and histone modifications. In this review, we will show how the potential interaction between epigenetic and immune modulation may lead to new approaches for specific epigenome/immunome-targeted therapies for cancer.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology & Immunology, Armed Forces College of Medicine (AFCM), Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mahmoud A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Oncology Diagnostic Unit, Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Marwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matboli
authors.affiliation: Oncology Diagnostic Unit, Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Marwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarek
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Maged
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reda
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Kamal M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nouh
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ashry
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed Fath
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: El-Bab
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Alazhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hend A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Mesalam
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine, Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ayman El-Sayed
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Shafei
authors.affiliation: Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abdel-Rahman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061025:Costimulatory and Inhibitory T-Cell Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D019139:Tumor Escape
chemical_list: D061025:Costimulatory and Inhibitory T-Cell Receptors
keywords: acetylation; cancer; epigenetics; immune checkpoint; lncRNA; methylation; miRNA