Histone Modifying Potential of Dietary Phytochemicals: Implications in Treating Breast Cancer

Purpose of ReviewBreast cancer is a metastatic carcinoma that is recognized as a leading cause of death in women worldwide and is still an unanswered medical challenge. Epigenetics involve reversible changes in the gene expression, without variations in the gene sequence, and mainly include histone post-translational modifications and DNA methylation. The central therapeutics used for cancer, like surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and immunotherapy, have several side effects that raise questions about their use. This suggests that there is an imperative need to seek a safer alternative that has fewer or minimal side effects, and naturally occurring phytochemicals emerge as a potential candidate for cancer treatment by exhibiting anti-neoplastic properties by acting on post-translational histone modifications. In this review article, we discussed the beneficial effects of phytochemicals (isolated or mixed) on breast cancer-associated post-translational histone modifications involved in changing chromatin structure and regulating the transcriptional activity of specific oncogenes which are crucial for causing breast cancer.Recent FindingsPreclinical studies have shown that the use of natural phytochemicals causes cell cycle arrest, inhibits signal transduction, and exhibits anti-cancer properties. Furthermore, the phytochemicals studied in this review article were found to modulate the expression and epigenetic activity of histone acetyltransferases, Histone deacetylases (HDACs), and methyltransferases.SummaryThe results obtained from published in vitro and in vivo models of breast cancer help scientists to develop novel therapeutic drugs to target signaling pathways and reduce the mortality index worldwide. However, there is still a need to conduct more clinical trials using naturally occurring phytochemicals to explore their potential in regulating epigenetic events in cancer.Graphical AbstractBeneficial effects of dietary phytochemicals in regulating histone modifications and treating BC: the figure highlights the role of phytochemicals in regulating histone post-translational modifications by regulating activities of histone-modifying enzymes and thus preventing alteration in gene expression and breast cancer progression.