Epigenetic Regulation of Toll-Like Receptor Signaling: Implications for Cancer Development

Abstract

The innate immune response acts in a myriad of ways to protect the host from pathogenic agents. This interplay requires changes in gene expression patterns that allow the host to effectively respond. Epigenetic mechanisms are important in this scenario. Understanding these mechanisms is of great interest for the development of appropriate therapies modulating the immune response. One of the important receptor families responsible for the activity of the innate immune system is the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family. This family is important for the innate immune response to infections and has been implicated to play a role in cancer. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms regulated by TLR signaling is important for the development of novel therapies for a multitude of diseases including cancer. In this article, we present an overview of this pathway and its role in carcinogenesis, and we discuss the epigenetic mechanisms regulating its activity.