Histone Acetyltransferase - Cancer Research

Cancer Research

The process of chromatin remodeling involves several enzymes that assist in the reformation of the nucleosome and involve histone acetyltransferases and is required for DNA damage repair systems to occur. Histone acetyltransferases add acetyl groups to histones, allowing the tightly bound histone complex to relax and allow other proteins to act on the DNA. If histone acetyltransferases are inhibited, then damaged DNA may not be repaired, eventually leading to cell death. Controlling the chromatin remodeling process within cancer cells may provide a novel drug target for cancer research. Attacking this specific enzyme within cancer cells will cause apoptosis to occur more readily due to their high accumulation of DNA damage. One such inhibitor of histone acetyltransferase is called garcinol. Garcinol is found within the rinds of the Garcinia indica fruit, otherwise known as mangosteen. To explore the physiological effects of garcinol on histone acetyltransferase, researchers utilized HeLa cells. The cells underwent irradiation, creating double-strand breaks within the DNA, and garcinol was introduced into the cells to see if it influences the DNA damage response. If the garcinol is successful at inhibiting the non-homologous end joining, a DNA repair mechanism that shows preference in fixing double-strand breaks, then it may serve as a radiosensitizer, a molecule that increases the sensitivity of cells to radiation damage. Increase in radiosensitivity may increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy.