Oncohistones: drivers of pediatric cancers
- 1Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark;
- 2The Novo Nordisk Center for Stem Cell Biology (Danstem), University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Corresponding author: kristian.helin{at}bric.ku.dk
Abstract
One of the most striking results in the area of chromatin and cancer in recent years has been the identification of recurrent mutations in histone genes in pediatric cancers. These mutations occur at high frequency and lead to the expression of mutant histones that exhibit oncogenic features. Thus, they are termed oncohistones. Thus far, mutations have been found in the genes encoding histone H3 and its variants. The expression of the oncohistones affects the global chromatin landscape through mechanisms that have just begun to be unraveled. In this review, we provide an overview of histone mutations that have been identified and discuss the possible mechanisms by which they contribute to tumor development. We further discuss the targeted therapies that have been proposed to treat cancers expressing oncohistones.
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Article is online at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.309013.117.
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