title: DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in acute myeloid leukemia: discovery, design and first therapeutic experiences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  DNA methylation is an epigenetic change mediated by DNA methyltranferases (DNMTs), which are promising epigenetic targets for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This is evidenced by the two DNMT inhibitors (azacitidine and decitabine) approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States for the treatment of high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes and the first clinical data available in AML.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper reviews data from the international literature regarding the design, sites of impact and pharmacodynamic characteristics of DNMT inhibitors, and their first clinical experiences in AML.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strongest advances in epigenetic therapy have been in the treatment of AML. There are now an increasing number of DNMT inhibitors. These agents may be potentially administered at different times of leukemia therapy: before or instead of chemotherapy, as maintenance therapy, prior to allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) or after relapse following SCT.
authors.affiliation: Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Service d'Hématologie Clinique, Pierre Bénite, France. xavier.thomas@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D057890:Epigenomics; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases