Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (Nov 2021)

Collateral Victim or Rescue Worker?—The Role of Histone Methyltransferases in DNA Damage Repair and Their Targeting for Therapeutic Opportunities in Cancer

  • Lishu He,
  • Lishu He,
  • Lishu He,
  • Gwen Lomberk,
  • Gwen Lomberk,
  • Gwen Lomberk,
  • Gwen Lomberk

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.735107
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Disrupted DNA damage signaling greatly threatens cell integrity and plays significant roles in cancer. With recent advances in understanding the human genome and gene regulation in the context of DNA damage, chromatin biology, specifically biology of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), has emerged as a popular field of study with great promise for cancer therapeutics. Here, we discuss how key histone methylation pathways contribute to DNA damage repair and impact tumorigenesis within this context, as well as the potential for their targeting as part of therapeutic strategies in cancer.

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