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Saccà et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2019;5:15 Journal of Cancer
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2018.95 Metastasis and Treatment

Review Open Access

Targeting histone lysine-specific demethylase
KDM1A/LSD1 to control epithelial-mesenchymal

transition program in breast cancers

Carmen D. Saccà , Francesca Gorini , Susanna Ambrosio , Stefano Amente , Barbara Majello 1
2
1
2
1
1 Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples 80126, Italy.
2 Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples, “Federico II”, Naples 80131, Italy.
Correspondence to: Dr. Barbara Majello, Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, via Cinthia, Naples 80126,
Italy. E-mail: majello@unina.it

How to cite this article: Saccà CD, Gorini F, Ambrosio S, Amente S, Majello B. Targeting histone lysine-specific demethylase
KDM1A/LSD1 to control epithelial-mesenchymal transition program in breast cancers. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2019;5:15.
http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-4722.2018.95

Received: 9 Dec 2018 First Decision: 16 Jan 2018 Revised: 1 Feb 2019 Accepted: 12 Feb 2019 Published: 11 Mar 2019

Science Editor: William P. Schiemann Copy Editor: Cai-Hong Wang Production Editor: Huan-Liang Wu

Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a plastic and reversible process, essential for development and tissue
homeostasis. Under pathological conditions, EMT causes induction of tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis.
According to its reversible nature, the EMT program is associated with vast epigenetic changes. Targeting the
epigenetic network that controls the EMT pathway in disease progression is a novel promising strategy to fight
cancer metastasis. The impact of alterations in histone methylation in cancer has led to the identification of
histone methyltransferases and demethylases as promising novel targets for therapy. Specifically, the lysine
specific demethylase 1 (LSD1, also known as KDM1A) plays a pivotal role in the regulation of EMT. Here we
present an overview of the causative role of LSD1 in the EMT process, summarizing recent findings on its emerging
functions in cell migration and invasion in breast cancer.

Keywords: Lysine specific demethylase 1, KDM1A, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, breast cancers, metastasis,
invasion, LSD1-complex

INTRODUCTION
Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women worldwide. It has a predictable incidence of 246,660 new
[1]
cases (29% of all sites cancers) and 40,450 estimated deaths (14% of all sites) in 2016 in the United States .
© The Author(s) 2019. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use,
sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as long
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