EZH2: A breakthrough in cancer treatment

Abstract. As one of the hot topics in cancer research, the role of EZH2 in cancer physiology has received extensive attention in recent years, and related research has become increasingly complex and in-depth. EZH2 not only regulates gene silencing through histone methylation, but also participates in tumorigenesis through other mechanisms, such as regulating cancer cell metabolism and inhibiting tumor suppressor genes. However, the EZH2 inhibitors developed in the early stage have problems such as nonspecificity, physiological toxicity and drug resistance. Therefore, the current focus of drug research and development is to improve efficiency, reduce toxicity, and seek higher specificity. This article deeply explores the mechanism of EZH2 and neuroblastoma, breast cancer bone metastasis and prostate cancer, and introduces the three development focuses of EZH2 therapeutic drugs and the therapeutic mechanism of representative drugs. In summary, it is pointed out that although EZH2 has attracted much attention in cancer research, there are still few therapeutic drugs on the market, and more drugs are still in the clinical trial stage. Future drug research and development should focus on improving specificity, safety and efficacy, and combine multiple treatment methods to better utilize EZH2 as a breakthrough in cancer treatment.