ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes can reorganize and remodel chromatin and thereby act as important regulator in various cellular processes. Based on considerable studies over the past two decades, it has been confirmed that the abnormal function of chromatin remodeling plays a pivotal role in genome reprogramming for oncogenesis in cancer development and/or resistance to cancer therapy. Recently, exciting progress has been made in the identification of genetic alteration in the genes encoding the chromatin-remodeling complexes associated with tumorigenesis, as well as in our understanding of chromatin-remodeling mechanisms in cancer biology. Here, we present preclinical evidence explaining the signaling mechanisms involving the chromatin-remodeling misregulation-induced cancer cellular processes, including DNA damage signaling, metastasis, angiogenesis, immune signaling, etc. However, even though the cumulative evidence in this field provides promising emerging molecules for therapeutic explorations in cancer, more research is needed to assess the clinical roles of these genetic cancer targets.
