Cancer cells must adapt to the hostile conditions of the microenvironment in terms of nutrition, space, and immune system attack. Mutations of DNA are the drivers of the tumorigenic process, but mutations must be able to hijack cellular functions to sustain the spread of mutant genomes. Transcriptional control is a key function in this context and is controlled by the rearrangement of the epigenome. Unlike genomic mutations, the epigenome of cancer cells can in principle be reversed. The discovery of the first epigenetic drugs triggered a contaminating enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the complexity of the epigenetic machinery has frustrated this enthusiasm. To develop efficient patient-oriented epigenetic therapies, we need to better understand the nature of this complexity. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in understanding the contribution of HDACs to the maintenance of the transformed state and the rational for their selective targeting.

癌细胞必须在营养、空间和免疫系统攻击方面适应微环境的恶劣条件。DNA 突变是致瘤过程的驱动因素，但突变必须能够劫持细胞功能以维持突变基因组的传播。在这种情况下，转录控制是一个关键功能，并由表观基因组的重排控制。与基因组突变不同，癌细胞的表观基因组原则上可以逆转。第一种表观遗传药物的发现引发了一种狂热的热情。不幸的是，表观遗传机制的复杂性挫败了这种热情。为了开发有效的以患者为导向的表观遗传疗法，我们需要更好地了解这种复杂性的本质。在本次审查中，