The biological significance of histone demethylases in multiple myeloma.
Division of Disease Epigenetics, IRDA
Hiroto Ohguchi
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy that proliferates in the bone marrow and is characterized by a variety of genetic alterations. Recent studies have highlighted not only the importance of these genetic events but also epigenetic aberrations including histone modifications in MM. Post-translational modifications of histone, such as methylation and acetylation, contribute to chromatin dynamics, and are modulated by histone modifying enzymes: writer and eraser. Importantly, dysregulation of these enzymes is implicated in the pathogenesis of MM.
We have recently shown that jumonjiC domain containing histone demethylases, KDM3A and KDM6B, are induced by bone marrow stromal cells and promote aberrant MM transcriptional program, conferring MM cell growth and survival. In this symposium, I’d like to talk about the biological and molecular functions of histone demethylases in MM. These findings underline the emerging roles of histone demethylases, and further highlight the possibility of novel epigenetic therapies in MM.
