Drug Discovery India 2017 Agenda

Fundamental to the process of cancer progression is the ability of cancer cells to respond to extracellular milieu and translate resulting signals into gene expression in an orderly manner through epigenomic regulation of gene expression processes via chromatin remodeling complexes. The functional outcome of the chromatin remodeling complexes is primarily dependent upon the nature and activation status of enzymes responsible for post-translational modifications of histones and non-histone proteins in the context of target gene expression. Therefore, any dysfunction of the components of epigenomic regulatory mechanisms will alter the steady state levels of such regulatory genes with role in cancer progression. As the process of epigenetic modifications is profoundly influenced by the status of various donor groups and its precursors as well as underlying biosynthesis steps, it is increasing clear that many of these steps are regulated by the systemic nutrients as well as environmental variables. The lecture will provide a peek into a usually silent contribution of representative nutrients, pollutants, and everyday life variables in shaping the epigenetic control of cellular homeostasis, and how dysregulation of this process over time could contribute to human diseases such as cancer.