Chromatin proteins and modifications as drug targets

A plethora of groundbreaking studies have demonstrated the importance of chromatin-associated proteins and posttranslational modifications of histones, proteins and DNA (so-called epigenetic modifications) for transcriptional control and normal development. Disruption of epigenetic control is a frequent event in disease, and the first epigenetic based therapies for cancer treatment have been approved. A generation of new classes of potent and specific inhibitors for several chromatin-associated proteins have shown promise in preclinical trials. Although the biology of epigenetic regulation is complex, new inhibitors such as these will hopefully be of clinical use in the coming years.
Epigenetics is defined as heritable traits that are not linked to changes in the DNA sequence; however, in broader terms, epigenetics is used to describe the mechanisms by which chromatinassociated [...]