Research Progress of Antitumor Effect of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors

Histone deacetylases (histone deacetylase, HDAC) plays a very important role in initiation and progress of cancer, such as the silence of tumor suppressor gene, cell differentiation, angiogenesis, cell migration, cell cycle abnormality, signal transduction and cell adhesion. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) which may target histone deacetylase and regulate histone acetylation, and then regulate key suppressor proteins and proto-oncogene, have great potential in being anti-cancer drugs. HDACIs have made achievements in treatment of hematological malignances. There are already 2 HDACIs (SAHA and FK228) have been approved for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. A large number of clinical trials currently are being excavated in HDACIs potential treatment of solid tumors. Although cell research based on the discovery HDACIs can induce tumor cell apoptosis, cell cycle inhibition, cell differentiation, inhibition of angiogenesis and autophagy, etc., but HDACIs exert anti-tumor activity of the molecular mechanisms remain unclear, the clinical treatment of solid tumors effects and related treatment strategies needs to be further confirmed.