Epigenetics and Cancer Medicine

Chromatin Remodeling and Cancer

Chromatin remodeling is the rearrangement of chromatin architecture to allow access of condensed genomic DNA to the regulatory transcription machinery proteins, allowing transcription factors or other DNA binding proteins to access DNA and control gene expression. Targeting chromatin remodeling pathways is evolving as a major therapeutic strategy in the treatment of several cancers.

Chromatin remodeling provides fine-tuning at crucial cell growth and division steps, like cell-cycle progression, DNA repair and chromosome segregation, and hence exerts tumor-suppressor function.