Histone deacetylase 6 in cancer

Histone acetylation and deacetylation are important epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression and transcription. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is a unique member of the HDAC family that not only participates in histone acetylation and deacetylation but also targets several nonhistone substrates, such as alpha-tubulin, cortactin, and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), to regulate cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and mitosis in tumors. Furthermore, HDAC6 also upregulates several critical factors in the immune system, such as program death receptor-1 (PD-1) and program death receptor ligand-1 (PD-L1) receptor, which are the main targets for cancer immunotherapy. Several selective HDAC6 inhibitors are currently in clinical trials for cancer treatment and bring hope for patients with malignant tumors. A fuller understanding of HDAC6 as a critical regulator of many cellular pathways will help further the development of targeted anti-HDAC6 therapies. Here, we review the unique features of HDAC6 and its role in cancer, which make HDAC6 an appealing drug target.