One of the best approaches against cancer is prevention. Inactivation of the p53 or p16INK4a genes has been extensively reported in most human cancer cells. Both p53 and p16INK4a function as tumor suppressors. Therefore, functional restoration of these molecules is considered to be one of the most useful methods for cancer prevention and therapy. We have proposed a concept termed ‘gene-regulating chemoprevention and chemotherapy’ regarding the above pathway. This concept assumes that transcriptional regulation by drugs on tumor-suppressor genes, downstream target genes or functionally similar genes (for example, family genes) of the tumor-suppressor genes would contribute to the prevention of human malignancies. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been shown to be potent inducers of growth arrest, differentiation and apoptotic cell death. Previously, we demonstrated that HDAC inhibitors, such as sodium butyrate and trichostatin A (TSA), transcriptionally induce the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/Cip1, a downstream target gene of p53, in a p53-independent manner. Furthermore, we have recently shown that HDAC inhibitors activate Gadd45, another downstream target gene of p53, and p19INK4d, a gene functionally similar to p16INK4a. Our results, taken together with previous findings, suggest that HDAC inhibitors may be one of the most attractive and promising agents for ‘gene-regulating chemoprevention’ and ‘molecular-targeting prevention’ of cancer.
Prevention ; Malignant Neoplasms ; Chemoprevention ; inhibitors ; Genes

Inactivation of the p16(INK4a) gene is one of the most frequent defects that contribute to oncogenesis in human cancer, since it is a tumor-suppressor gene. Therefore, functional restoration of p16(INK4a) is one of the most effective methods for cancer prevention. We proposed the concept of 'gene-regulating chemoprevention' and 'molecular-targeting prevention' of cancer, which assumes that transcriptional regulation by drugs on tumor-suppressor genes or functionally similar genes to the tumor-suppressor genes contributes to the prevention of human malignancies. The p16(INK4a) homologs p15(INK4b), p18(INK4c) and p19(INK4d) have been recently identified, and these four members constitute the INK4 family of proteins. All directly bind to cyclin D-cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 and are therefore specific inhibitors of these complexes. We recently showed that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, promising chemopreventive and chemotherapeutical agents, induce p15(INK4b) and p19(INK4d) gene expression and cause growth arrest, suggesting that both genes are important molecular targets for HDAC inhibitors. Furthermore, we found that 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), which is widely used as a tumor promoter and protein kinase C activator, promotes human cancer cell growth through the down-regulation of p18(INK4c) gene expression. This suggests that a mouse two-stage carcinogenesis model using TPA might partially represent the most common human carcinogenesis pathway related to RB. Our results suggest that the INK4 family consists of attractive and promising molecular targets for the 'gene-regulating chemoprevention' and 'molecular-targeting prevention' of cancer.

One of the best approaches against cancer is prevention. Inactivation of the p53 or p16(INK4a) genes has been extensively reported in most human cancer cells. Both p53 and p16(INK4a) function as tumor suppressors. Therefore, functional restoration of these molecules is considered to be one of the most useful methods for cancer prevention and therapy. We have proposed a concept termed 'gene-regulating chemoprevention and chemotherapy' regarding the above pathway. This concept assumes that transcriptional regulation by drugs on tumor-suppressor genes, downstream target genes or functionally similar genes (for example, family genes) of the tumor-suppressor genes would contribute to the prevention of human malignancies. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been shown to be potent inducers of growth arrest, differentiation and apoptotic cell death. Previously, we demonstrated that HDAC inhibitors, such as sodium butyrate and trichostatin A (TSA), transcriptionally induce the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/Cip1), a downstream target gene of p53, in a p53-independent manner. Furthermore, we have recently shown that HDAC inhibitors activate Gadd45, another downstream target gene of p53, and p19(INK4d), a gene functionally similar to p16(INK4a). Our results, taken together with previous findings, suggest that HDAC inhibitors may be one of the most attractive and promising agents for 'gene-regulating chemoprevention' and 'molecular-targeting prevention' of cancer.