Progress of research on inhibition strategy of bromodomain-containing protein 4 and its application in tumor therapy

Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), a new target for tumor therapy, is the most important member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal family. The overexpression of BRD4 is associated with genesis and development of various cancers.Used either alone or in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy, photothermal therapy and immunotherapy, the BRD4 inhibitors or degraders exhibited excellent antitumor effects, providing a new direction in tumor treatment. In this review, the structure and function of BRD4, the inhibition strategies of BRD4, the application in tumor combination therapy and drug resistance are introduced, which provides reference for targeting BRD4 in tumor therapy.