title: Azacitidine.
abstract: Azacitidine (Vidaza; Pharmion), an inhibitor of DNA methylation, was approved by the US FDA for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes in May 2004. It is the first drug to be approved by the FDA for treating this rare family of bone-marrow disorders, and has been given orphan-drug status. It is also a pioneering example of an agent that targets 'epigenetic' gene silencing, a mechanism that is exploited by cancer cells to inhibit the expression of genes that counteract the malignant phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Leukemia, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA. jpissa@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Issa
authors.forename: Hagop
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kantarjian
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D001374:Azacitidine