Targeting histone lysine-specific demethylase KDM1A/LSD1 to control epithelial-mesenchymal transition program in breast cancers

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.