Ari Melnick
Professor of Medicine & Gebroe Professor of Hematology / Oncology
Weill Cornell Medical College
Epigenetic Mechanisms and Epigenetic Targeted Therapy for B-cell Lymphomas
Disruption of epigenetic programming is a hallmark of all hematologic malignancies. Epigenetic signatures provide the basis for more accurate classification of acute and chronic leukemias and explain crucial mechanisms determining the phenotype and clinical behavior of these tumors. Many of the somatic mutations occurring in leukemias and lymphomas disrupt epigenetic modifying proteins either through direct or indirect effects on cytosine methylation or various histone modifications. Specific epigenetic tumor mechanisms disrupt gene enhancer functions whereas others disrupt promoters through alteration of chromatin bivalent domains and other mechanisms. Novel targeted therapies can restore normal enhancer and promoter function in tumor cells and show great promise as components of novel therapeutic regimens.
