Chemo Control

Drugs target epigenetic changes in cancer cells

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Today's cancer chemotherapy consists of little more than a dismal array of toxic drugs that kill healthy cells along with cancerous ones. Physicians must often play a deadly game of trial and error, hoping to find the right dose of the right medicine before time runs out. But a pipeline of new molecular drugs targeting so-called epigenetic phenomena could change that. These treatments could mark a path to a new array of cancer prevention strategies less toxic to the body.

The term "epigenetics" refers to the study of changes in gene expression that do not involve changes in the genetic code; they include an expanding roster of subtle molecular modifications that tell cells which genes to activate (or transcribe) and which to suppress. In cancer cells, these small-molecule regulators can act like broken dimmer switches, turning genes that promote cell growth all the way up and those that suppress tumors all the way down. By comparing the epigenetic patterns of cancerous cells with those of healthy cells, scientists are trying to identify the abnormalities tied to tumor growth. Research has led to the discovery of epigenetic culprits in many cancers, including those found in the colon, prostate, breast and blood.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American