Description
Vorinostat, also known as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, is a HDAC inhibitor that prevents the deacetylation of histones, therefore altering chromatin structure and inhibiting gene expression. In vitro, vorinostat promotes cell cycle arrest, induces apoptosis, and inhibits cellular proliferation. This compound is effective when administered with other synergistic treatments in glioblastoma stem-like cells and is currently in clinical trials as a potential treatment for a variety of gliomas. Additionally, vorinostat attenuates impairment of fear extinction in animal models and disrupts HIV latency in HIV-infected patients, suggesting it has additional antiviral benefit beyond its anticancer chemotherapeutic activity. Vorinostat also alters RNA splicing activity.