Chemistry and biology of chromatin remodeling agents: State of art and future perspectives of HDAC inhibitors

Chromatin remodeling is a fundamental phenomenon in the life of eukaryotic cells, bearing implications to numerous physiological and pathological phenomena. This review outlines the chemistry of natural and synthetic agents endowed with the ability to interfere with such biological function, with a particular emphasis on histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. Other aspects covered in this article comprise structure activity relationships (SAR) and modes of action at molecular level, including the description of crystal structures of enzyme-inhibitor complexes.