ATAD2 and ATAD2B are epigenetic regulators that act as co-factors for oncogenic transcription factors. The ATAD2 bromodomain is presumed to bind acetlyated chromatin and function in a manner similar to other bromodomain-containing proteins. ATAD2 overexpression has been shown to correlate with poor prognosis in colorectal [4], gastric [5], breast [1-2], lung [1] and aggressive endometrial [3] cancers. Selective pharmacological inhibitors are being developed as tools to further investigate the function of these proteins, with emphasis on their potential as novel oncology targets.

1. Caron C, Lestrat C, Marsal S, Escoffier E, Curtet S, Virolle V, Barbry P, Debernardi A, Brambilla C, Brambilla E et al.. (2010) Functional characterization of ATAD2 as a new cancer/testis factor and a predictor of poor prognosis in breast and lung cancers. Oncogene, 29 (37): 5171-81. [PMID:20581866]

2. Kalashnikova EV, Revenko AS, Gemo AT, Andrews NP, Tepper CG, Zou JX, Cardiff RD, Borowsky AD, Chen HW. (2010) ANCCA/ATAD2 overexpression identifies breast cancer patients with poor prognosis, acting to drive proliferation and survival of triple-negative cells through control of B-Myb and EZH2. Cancer Res, 70 (22): 9402-12. [PMID:20864510]

3. Krakstad C, Tangen IL, Hoivik EA, Halle MK, Berg A, Werner HM, Ræder MB, Kusonmano K, Zou JX, Øyan AM et al.. (2015) ATAD2 overexpression links to enrichment of B-MYB-translational signatures and development of aggressive endometrial carcinoma. Oncotarget, 6 (29): 28440-52. [PMID:26308378]

4. Luo Y, Ye GY, Qin SL, Yu MH, Mu YF, Zhong M. (2015) ATAD2 Overexpression Identifies Colorectal Cancer Patients with Poor Prognosis and Drives Proliferation of Cancer Cells. Gastroenterol Res Pract, 2015: 936564. [PMID:26697062]

5. Zhang M, Zhang C, Du W, Yang X, Chen Z. (2016) ATAD2 is overexpressed in gastric cancer and serves as an independent poor prognostic biomarker. Clin Transl Oncol, 18 (8): 776-81. [PMID:26527032]