Eureka! Institutional Repository

This work provides a summary understanding of epigenetics as a new science, the mechanisms of actions of epigenetic factors and their contribution to the discovery of drugs for the treatment for various cancers. Epigenetic is the study of inheritable and reversible changes that regulate gene expression without involve alterations in the DNA sequence. Such changes are DNA methylation, histone modification and the action of non-coding RNA. Normally, they are involved in the regulation of many biologi-cal processes, such as genomic imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation in females. Abnormal epigenetic regulation, due to the action of some enzymes, occurs in cancers. Epigenetic drugs are usually small inhibitory molecules that block enzymatic action.