The role of epigenetics in cancer: From pathways to the clinic.

Epigenetic changes are inherited but repairable genetic DNA modifications that affect gene expression regardless of the underlying sequence. Epigenetic abnormalities have been associated with a wide range of human diseases, including cancer. Malignancy can be caused by abnormal epigenetic changes that incorrectly activate oncogenes. Epigenetic marks are appealing therapeutic targets because they are reversible and susceptible to exogenous changes. Significant progress has been made in developing treatments that target epigenetic regulation in the past few years, with several pharmaceuticals being evaluated. this review describes the epigenetic drugs currently undergoing clinical trials. It also discusses the pros and cons of using them to treat cancer and the role of epigenetics in cancer diagnosis.