Epi-drugs as triple-negative breast cancer treatment

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) types with poor prognosis are due to the absence of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and HEGFR-2. The lack of suitable therapy for TNBC has led the research community to turn toward epigenetic regulation and its protagonists that can modulate certain oncogenes and tumor suppressors. This has opened an important new field of therapy using epi-drugs, in preclinical and clinical trials. The epi-drugs are natural or synthetic molecules capable of inhibiting or modulating the activity of epigenetic proteins such as DNA methyltransferases, modulating the expression of interferon microRNAs, as well as histone methyltransferases, demethylases, acetyltransferases and deacetylases. This review investigated the epi-drugs used in the treatment of TNBC.

Pharmacoepigenomic Interventions as Novel Potential Treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases

Cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disorders affect one billion people around the world and result from a combination of genomic, epigenomic, metabolic, and environmental factors. Diagnosis at late stages of disease progression, limited knowledge of gene biomarkers and molecular mechanisms of the pathology, and conventional compounds based on symptomatic rather than mechanistic features, determine the lack of success of current treatments, including current FDA-approved conventional drugs. The epigenetic approach opens new avenues for the detection of early presymptomatic pathological events that would allow the implementation of novel strategies in order to stop or delay the pathological process. The reversibility and potential restoring of epigenetic aberrations along with their potential use as targets for pharmacological and dietary interventions sited the use of epidrugs as potential novel candidates for successful treatments of multifactorial disorders involving neurodegeneration. This manuscript includes a description of the most relevant epigenetic mechanisms involved in the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders worldwide, as well as the main potential epigenetic-based compounds under investigation for treatment of those disorders and their limitations.

Epigenomic networking in drug development: from pathogenic mechanisms to pharmacogenomics

Different epigenetic alterations (DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, noncoding RNA dysregulation) are associated with the phenotypic expression of complex disorders in which genomic, epigenomic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes, in conjunction with environmental factors, are involved. As epigenetic modifications are reversible and can be potentially targeted by pharmacological and dietary interventions, a series of epigenetic drugs have been developed, including DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (nucleoside analogs, small molecules, bioproducts, antisense oligonucleotides, miRNAs), histone deacetylase inhibitors (short-chain fatty acids, hydroxamic acids, cyclic peptides, benzamides, ketones, sirtuin inhibitors, sirtuin activators), histone acetyltransferase modulators, histone methyltransferase inhibitors, histone demethylase inhibitors, and noncoding RNAs (miRNAs), with potential effects against myelodysplastic syndromes, different types of cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. Pharmacogenetic and pharmacoepigenetic studies are required for the proper evaluation of efficacy and safety issues in clinical trials with epigenetic drugs.

Epigenetic drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION

It is assumed that epigenetic modifications are reversible and could potentially be targeted by pharmacological and dietary interventions. Epigenetic drugs are gaining particular interest as potential candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

AREAS COVERED

This article covers relevant information from over 50 different epigenetic drugs including: DNA methyltransferase inhibitors; histone deacetylase inhibitors; histone acetyltransferase modulators; histone methyltransferase inhibitors; histone demethylase inhibitors; non-coding RNAs (microRNAs) and dietary regimes. The authors also review the pharmacoepigenomics and the pharmacogenomics of epigenetic drugs. The readers will gain insight into i) the classification of epigenetic drugs; ii) the mechanisms by which these drugs might be useful in AD; iii) the pharmacological properties of selected epigenetic drugs; iv) pharmacoepigenomics and the influence of epigenetic drugs on genes encoding CYP enzymes, transporters and nuclear receptors; and v) the genes associated with the pharmacogenomics of anti-dementia drugs.

EXPERT OPINION

Epigenetic drugs reverse epigenetic changes in gene expression and might open future avenues in AD therapeutics. Unfortunately, clinical trials with this category of drugs are lacking in AD. The authors highlight the need for pharmacogenetic and pharmacoepigenetic studies to properly evaluate any efficacy and safety issues.