# HDAC8

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/hdac8/  
OnCo record `hdac8` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

HDAC8 (Histone deacetylase 8) is a protein that switches other genes on and off. The public catalogues list it as a drug target, and an approved or late-stage drug is recorded against it. Tied to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Multiple myeloma.

## Summary

Histone deacetylase that catalyses the deacetylation of lysine residues on the N-terminal part of the core histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4). Histone deacetylation gives a tag for epigenetic repression and plays an important role in transcriptional regulation, cell cycle progression and developmental events. Histone deacetylases act via the formation of large multiprotein complexes.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.61 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.97, genetic association 0.00, clinical 0.95).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: histone deacetylase 8; Histone deacetylase 8; RPD3; KDAC8; HDACL1; MRXS6
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: HDAC8
- Class: transcription
- Biology: Histone deacetylase that catalyses the deacetylation of lysine residues on the N-terminal part of the core histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4). Histone deacetylation gives a tag for epigenetic repression and plays an important role in transcriptional regulation, cell cycle progression and developmental events. Histone deacetylases act via the formation of large multiprotein complexes. Also involved in the deacetylation of cohesin complex protein SMC3 regulating release of cohesin complexes from chromatin. May play a role in smooth muscle cell contractility. In addition to protein deacetylase activity, also has protein-lysine deacylase activity: acts as a protein decrotonylase by mediating decrotonylation ((2E)-butenoyl) of histones. Location: Nucleus; Chromosome; Cytoplasm (UniProt). Locus Xq13.1 (HGNC).
- Where found: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Open Targets association 0.57 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (MONDO_0018908); Multiple myeloma: Open Targets association 0.55 with plasma cell myeloma (MONDO_0009693)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: Open Targets known-drug datatype score 0.95. Evidence tier "approved-drug" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:13315: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:13315
- UniProt Q9BY41: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9BY41/entry
- NCBI Gene 55869: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/55869
- Ensembl ENSG00000147099: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000147099

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Multiple myeloma](https://onco.cc/cancers/multiple-myeloma/), [Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/hdac8.json