title: Why methylation is not a marker predictive of response to hypomethylating agents.
abstract: The azanucleotides azacitidine and decitabine have been shown to induce hematologic response and prolong survival in higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. They are inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase-1 and induce DNA-hypomethylation. Induction of apoptosis is also clinically relevant, in particular during the first treatment cycles, when cytopenia is a frequent side-effect. Since the hypomethylating effect is reversible, and the malignant clone has been shown to persist in most responding patients, several cycles are necessary to achieve and maintain responses, while treatment interruption is associated with rapid relapse. Methylation studies have shown global and gene-specific hypermethylation in myelodysplastic syndromes, but there seems to be little relation between the degree of demethylation following hypomethylating treatment and hematologic response. The presence of concurrent genomic hypermethylation and hypomethylation may impair the predictive power of current detection techniques. This scenario has been complicated by the identification of epigenetic enzyme mutations, including TET2, IDH1/2, DNMT3A and EZH2, which are important for response to hypomethylating treatment. Changes in azanucleotide metabolism genes may also play a role. In the future, methylation analysis concentrating not only on promoters, but also on gene bodies and intergenic regions, may identify key genes in patients with the highest probability of response to azanucleotides and allow a patient-tailored approach.
authors.affiliation: mtvoso@rm.unicatt.it.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Voso
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fabiani
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fianchi
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Criscuolo
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falconi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guidi
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hohaus
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015415:Biomarkers; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects*; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases