Superenhancers as master gene regulators and novel therapeutic targets in brain tumors

Abstract

Brain cancer: opportunities to block “super-enhanced” tumor growth “Superenhancer” regions within the genome help coordinate the malignant growth of brain tumors, and could offer a target for the development of therapies and prognostic biomarkers. These regions contain a dense accumulation of gene regulatory sequences, which operate in collaboration to establish cellular identity. A review by Jian Qu and colleagues at Central South University, Changsha, China, shows how these regulatory sequences get hijacked in various brain cancers and can facilitate tumor cell proliferation and invasion. Many tumor cells acquire mutations that lead to the formation of superenhancers that are absent in healthy cells. However, this process also offers therapeutic opportunities, and researchers have identified numerous drug candidates that can potentially block tumorigenesis by selectively interfering with superenhancer function. Superenhancer activity could also provide a potentially useful clinical signature for assessing tumor aggressiveness.