Abstract

DNA methylation inhibitors 5-Azacytidine and 5-Aza-2’-deoxycytidine have been increasingly used in the clinic to treat myeloid disorders and cancer since their FDA approval over a decade ago. Increasing the efficiency and efficacy of these drugs require better understanding on their mechanism of action. Recent studies show that DNA methylation inhibitors have widespread anti-tumor functions and act by modulating oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes expression as well as stimulating the immune system. These findings demonstrate the significant progress that has been made in the field of epigenetic therapy to improve patients’ outcome.

Keywords: DNA methylation; Epigenetic theraphy; Oncogenes