Abstract
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a vast family of enzymes involved in chromatin remodeling and have crucial roles in numerous biological processes, largely through their repressive influence on transcription. In addition to modifying histones, HDACs also target many other non-histone protein substrates to regulate gene expression. Recently, HDACs have gained growing attention as HDAC-inhibiting compounds are being developed as promising cancer therapeutics. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have been shown to induce differentiation, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy and necrosis in a variety of transformed cell lines. In this review, we mainly discuss how HDACi may elicit a therapeutic response to human cancers through different cell death pathways, in particular, apoptosis and autophagy.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Benzamides / chemistry
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Benzamides / pharmacology
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Benzamides / therapeutic use
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Cell Death / drug effects*
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Fatty Acids, Volatile / chemistry
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Fatty Acids, Volatile / pharmacology
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Fatty Acids, Volatile / therapeutic use
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Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / chemistry
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Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
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Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
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Histone Deacetylases / chemistry
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Histone Deacetylases / metabolism*
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Humans
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Hydroxamic Acids / chemistry
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Hydroxamic Acids / pharmacology
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Hydroxamic Acids / therapeutic use
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Neoplasms / drug therapy
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Peptides, Cyclic / chemistry
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Peptides, Cyclic / pharmacology
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Peptides, Cyclic / therapeutic use
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Signal Transduction / drug effects
Substances
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Benzamides
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Fatty Acids, Volatile
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Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
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Hydroxamic Acids
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Peptides, Cyclic
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Histone Deacetylases