Euchromatic histone methyltransferase 2 inhibitor, BIX-01294, sensitizes human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 and NB4 cells to growth inhibition and differentiation.

The involvement of histone lysine methyltransferases (HMT) in carcinogenesis is not well understood. Here, we describe a dose-dependent growth and survival inhibitory effects of BIX-01294, a specific inhibitor of euchromatic HMT2, in promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 and NB4 cells. BIX-01294 combined with all-trans retinoic acid or together with histone deacetylase and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors enhanced cell differentiation to granulocytes and induced cell line-specific changes in the expression of cell cycle-, survival- and differentiation regulating genes and proteins in association with histone modification state. Our results suggest that targeting EHMT2 may be of therapeutical benefits in myeloid leukemia.