Chromatin Modification

Chromatin Modification via Histone Deacetylase Inhibition

The modulation of gene expression by small molecules is increasingly recognized as a pharmaceutical therapy for treating genetically caused diseases. There are several epigenetic processes in the cell that control gene expression and which are potential targets for new drug treatment to correct errant gene expression. EGT has targeted one cellular process, the acetylation of the DNA proteins called histones. When the histones of the DNA are in a deacetylated state, gene expression is impaired. Inhibition of histone deacetylation is prevented by small molecules referred to as Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors (“HDACI”). There is compelling evidence from laboratory and clinical studies that HDACI treatment corrects the transmission of errant gene information. The results of numerous studies demonstrate the potential of these inhibitors to treat cancer and non-cancer diseases.