Deregulation of the histone demethylase JMJD2A is involved in human carcinogenesis through regulation of the G(1)/S transition.

•The histone demethylase JMJD2A was overexpressed in various types of cancer.•Knockdown of JMJD2A expression resulted in the growth suppression of cancer cells.•JMJD2A plays a crucial role in the G1/S transition of cancer cells.•Direct JMJD2A downstream genes were identified by ChIP-Seq and microarray analyses.•JMJD2A appears to be a good candidate for anti-cancer therapy.