The histone demethylase KDM6B, also known as jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3), is an epigenetic regulator which plays important roles in immune activation, tissue regeneration, cellular senescence and cancer metastasis.
Previous reports indicate that Jmjd3 is essential for differentiation of various cell types, such as macrophages and epidermal cells in mice, whereas Utx is involved in cancer and developmental diseases in humans and mice, as well as <i>Hox</i> regulation in zebrafish and nematodes.
The role of JMJD3 in cancer is poorly understood and its function may be at the intersection of many pathways promoted in a dysfunctional manner such as activation of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) observed in aging.
In addition, a large number of transcripts were identified by RNA-seq as altered in JMJD3 overexpressing cells, including cancer- and inflammation-related transcripts as defined by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis.
Our results also suggest that aberrant expression of KDM6B may contribute to the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL), an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated malignancy.