Histone deacetylase inhibitors in the treatment ofhaematological malignancies

Although most types of haematologic malignancies show initial responsiveness to standard cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs, this ultimately diminishes over time, with many patients becoming resistant to treatment. Therefore, alternative therapies have been intensely investigated. Chromatin modifying compounds, particularly histone deacetylase inhibitors have emerged as a new class of anticancer therapeutics with Vorinostat and Rornidepsin already approved for the treatment of cutaneous T -cell lymphoma. In this chapter the basis for the therapeutic potential of chromatin modifying compounds will be discussed.