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Bromodomains are a group of structurally diverse proteins characterized as readers of post-translational modifications. They bear unique structural topology and are known to have diverse cellular functions. As epigenetic readers of histone acetylation, bromodomains appear to have both physiological and pathological implications. Among the various types of bromodomain-containing proteins, BRD2 and BRD4 proteins are expressed ubiquitously and act as critical regulators of the cell cycle in normal mammalian cells. Therefore, they are increasingly involved in the process of oncogenesis. Bromodomains are the emerging novel epigenetic targets for the treatment of cancer. Various small molecules are proposed to target the bromodomain proteins as the readers of acetyl-lysine residues. In recent years, inhibiting the interaction of acetyl-lysine residues and bromodomain proteins on chromatin has served as an interesting target to regulate the expression of various pathological genes, including BCL-2, MYC, and NF-κB. The review summarizes bromodomains as potential targets in cancer and various bromodomain inhibitors in the early stages of the clinical trial.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects almost 70 million people worldwide of all socioeconomic groups. The currently available medications aim to restore the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters by acting on ion channels, receptors, transporters, and enzymes, thus providing symptomatic relief. Though most of the patients receive a lasting remission however, 30% of patients are still pharmacoresistant. The incidence of adverse effects and associated comorbidities are also common. To overcome these challenges, researchers are focusing on the development of drugs based on novel targets and signaling cascades. This review summarizes several experimental findings that could be explored to identify potential targets for anti-epileptic drug discovery.