title: Developmental DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in the treatment of gynecologic cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  DNA methylation has become an attractive target for the treatment of cancer. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors have proven useful for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome and are being evaluated in gynecological neoplasias.
  
  
  METHODS
  We provide an overview of the current knowledge on DNA methylation and cancer and the role of DNA methylation in cervical, ovarian and endometrial carcinomas. The results of recent clinical trials with demethylating agents for cervical and ovarian cancer treatment are also discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are few studies of DNA demethylating agents for cervical and ovarian cancer treatment; nevertheless, the results are promising. To accelerate these advances, there are at least two actions that can be simultaneously pursued. One is to greatly increase the number of small clinical exploratory trials with existing demethylating drugs and using methylome analyses to identify predictive factors for response and/or toxicity. The second is finding out epigenetic 'drivers' unique to gynecological cancers and their subtypes, and then proceed to clinical trials in a highly selected population of patients. It is expected that in the future, DNA demethylation could have a role in the treatment of gynecologic cancers.
authors.affiliation: a Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México/Instituto Nacional de Cancerología , Mexico City , Mexico.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duenas-Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: b Facultad de Química, Departamento de Farmacia , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , México City , México.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Medina-Franco
authors.affiliation: c Division of Basic Research , Instituto Nacional de Cancerología , Mexico City , México.
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chavez-Blanco
authors.affiliation: c Division of Basic Research , Instituto Nacional de Cancerología , Mexico City , México.
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dominguez-Gomez
authors.affiliation: b Facultad de Química, Departamento de Farmacia , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , México City , México.
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández-de Gortari
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases
keywords: DNA methylation; DNMT inhibitors; cervical cancer; endometrial cancer; epigenetics; gynecologic cancer; ovarian cancer