In the frame of a search for innovative, effective anti-cancer treatments, the emerging research field of epigenetic therapies showed promising results in terms of impact on patients’ healthcare. In the past years, scientists of the department have pioneered the studies that enabled to discover and characterize treatments targeting chromatin status of cancer cells, such as the use of retinoic acid in APL and the set-up of novel inhibitors of HDAC and histone demethylases. Fueled by our more recent discoveries, our effort continues straight in this direction.
Molecular basis of retinoic acid treatment in Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia.
Lancet 1992; Blood 1992 and 1995.
Identification of the first HDAC inhibitor for clinical usage (VPA), synthesis of new HDAC inhibitors, characterization of their antitumoral mechanism.
