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REVIEW article

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Cancer Cell Biology
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1500263

The function of histone methyltransferase SETDB1 and its roles in liver cancer

Provisionally accepted
Enxiang Zhang Enxiang Zhang *pingping he pingping he *
  • Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Epigenetic alterations in gene expression have been implicated in cancer development and tumor immune escape, with posttranslational histone or non-histone modifications representing attractive targets for disease surveillance and therapy. SET domain bifurcated 1 (SETDB1) is a histone lysine methyltransferase that reversibly catalyzes the di-and tri-methylation of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) on euchromatin, inhibiting gene transcription within these regions and facilitating the switch from euchromatic to heterochromatic states. Emerging evidence suggests that SETDB1 amplification and aberrant activation are significantly associated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and contribute to HCC development, immune escape, and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) resistance. Here, we provide an updated overview of the cellular and molecular effects of SETDB1 activity in hepatocarcinogenesis and progression and focus on studies linking its function to immunotherapy for HCC, and present current challenges and future perspectives for targeting SETDB1 in HCC treatment.

    Keywords: liver cancer, SETDB1, DNA Methylation, H3K9 trimethylation, Tumor immunotherapy

    Received: 23 Sep 2024; Accepted: 28 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang and he. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Enxiang Zhang, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
    pingping he, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.