Are epigenetic drugs for diabetes and obesity at our door step?

Abstract

Recent interest in epigenetics has focused on small molecules aimed at modifying disease-specific gene expression, including diabetes and obesity. Several major classes of epigenetic modifier include drugs already in the marketplace as well as several in various stages of study. These classes include histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), histone acetyltransferase inhibitors (HATi), protein arginine methyltransferase inhibitors (PRMTis), DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis), histone demethylating inhibitors (HDMis), and sirtuin-activating compounds (STACs). In this review, we discuss drugs with epigenetic properties that have been identified as potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of diabetes and obesity, including those currently in clinical trials.