The role of histone deacetylase inhibitors in metastatic breast cancer

Abstract

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are a relatively new class of drug that plays an important role in the epigenetic and non-epigenetic regulation in cancer, inducing death, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. Although HDACi are approved only for hematologic malignancies, there are several trials in the breast cancer setting with promising results. In this review, we summarize the latest studies with HDACi in breast cancer from the emerging data in the translational research until its possible applicability in the clinical practice.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Epigenetic; Histone acetylation.