The Role of Histone Demethylases in Disease

The document from January 1, 2011, reviews the role of histone demethylases in various diseases, with a strong focus on cancer. It explains that these enzymes, which were discovered in 2004, are involved in cellular differentiation by altering histone structure and DNA methylation, thus affecting gene expression. The document details how mutations, translocations, deletions, and abnormal expression of genes encoding histone demethylases are associated with different types of human cancers, suggesting their defective control contributes to cancer pathogenesis. It specifically mentions the H3K9 demethylase GASC1 as a putative oncoprotein and the H3K27me3 demethylases JMJD3 and UTX as tumor suppressors. The document also discusses the role of histone demethylases in drug resistance, neural disorders, male infertility, obesity-related diseases, metabolic disease, congenital heart disease, and alopecia. It concludes that histone demethylases are significant in the pathogenesis of various diseases and could be potential targets for therapeutic intervention.