Selective Targeting of Class I HDAC Reduces Microglial Inflammation in the Entorhinal Cortex of Young APP/PS1 Mice

HDAC3 in action: Expanding roles in inflammation and inflammatory diseases

Inflammation serves as the foundation for numerous physiological and pathological processes, driving the onset and progression of various diseases. Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), an essential chromatin-modifying protein within the histone deacetylase superfamily, exerts its transcriptional inhibitory role through enzymatic histone modification to uphold normal physiological function, growth, and development of the body. With both enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities, HDAC3 plays a pivotal role in regulating diverse transcription factors associated with inflammatory responses and related diseases. This review examines the involvement of HDAC3 in inflammatory responses while exploring its therapeutic potential as a target for treating inflammatory diseases, thereby offering valuable insights for clinical applications.

Histone deacetylases and their inhibitors in inflammatory diseases

Despite considerable research efforts, inflammatory diseases remain a heavy burden on human health, causing significant economic losses annually. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a significant role in regulating inflammation (via histone and non-histone protein deacetylation) and chromatin structure and gene expression regulation. Herein, we present a detailed description of the different HDACs and their functions and analyze the role of HDACs in inflammatory diseases, including pro-inflammatory cytokine production reduction, immune cell function modulation, and anti-inflammatory cell activity enhancement. Although HDAC inhibitors have shown broad inflammatory disease treatment potentials, their clinical applicability remains limited because of their non-specific effects, adverse effects, and drug resistance. With further research and insight, these inhibitors are expected to become important tools for the treatment of a wide range of inflammatory diseases. This review aims to explore the mechanisms and application prospects of HDACs and their inhibitors in multiple inflammatory diseases.

Role of histone deacetylase inhibitors in non-neoplastic diseases

Background

Epigenetic dysregulation has been implicated in the development and progression of a variety of human diseases, but epigenetic changes are reversible, and epigenetic enzymes and regulatory proteins can be targeted using small molecules. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis), as a class of epigenetic drugs, are widely used to treat various cancers and other diseases involving abnormal gene expression.

Results

Specially, HDACis have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance the therapeutic effect of non-neoplastic conditions, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, renal diseases, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases and rare diseases, along with their related mechanisms. However, their clinical efficacy has been limited by drug resistance and toxicity.

Conclusions

To date, most clinical trials of HDAC inhibitors have been related to the treatment of cancer rather than the treatment of non-cancer diseases, for which experimental studies are gradually underway. Discussions regarding non-neoplastic diseases often concentrate on specific disease types. Therefore, this review highlights the development of HDACis and their potential therapeutic applications in non-neoplastic diseases, either as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs or therapies.

Chromatin modifiers in human disease: from functional roles to regulatory mechanisms

The field of transcriptional regulation has revealed the vital role of chromatin modifiers in human diseases from the beginning of functional exploration to the process of participating in many types of disease regulatory mechanisms. Chromatin modifiers are a class of enzymes that can catalyze the chemical conversion of pyrimidine residues or amino acid residues, including histone modifiers, DNA methyltransferases, and chromatin remodeling complexes. Chromatin modifiers assist in the formation of transcriptional regulatory circuits between transcription factors, enhancers, and promoters by regulating chromatin accessibility and the ability of transcription factors to acquire DNA. This is achieved by recruiting associated proteins and RNA polymerases. They modify the physical contact between cis-regulatory factor elements, transcription factors, and chromatin DNA to influence transcriptional regulatory processes. Then, abnormal chromatin perturbations can impair the homeostasis of organs, tissues, and cells, leading to diseases. The review offers a comprehensive elucidation on the function and regulatory mechanism of chromatin modifiers, thereby highlighting their indispensability in the development of diseases. Furthermore, this underscores the potential of chromatin modifiers as biomarkers, which may enable early disease diagnosis. With the aid of this paper, a deeper understanding of the role of chromatin modifiers in the pathogenesis of diseases can be gained, which could help in devising effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Unlocking the epigenetic symphony: histone acetylation's impact on neurobehavioral change in neurodegenerative disorders

Recent genomics and epigenetic advances have empowered the exploration of DNA/RNA methylation and histone modifications crucial for gene expression in response to stress, aging and disease. Interest in understanding neuronal plasticity's epigenetic mechanisms, influencing brain rewiring amid development, aging and neurodegenerative disorders, continues to grow. Histone acetylation dysregulation, a commonality in diverse brain disorders, has become a therapeutic focus. Histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases have emerged as promising targets for neurodegenerative disorder treatment. This review delves into histone acetylation regulation, potential therapies and future perspectives for disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's. Exploring genetic-environmental interplay through models and studies reveals molecular changes, behavioral insights and early intervention possibilities targeting the epigenome in at-risk individuals.