DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that contributes to essential biological processes such as retrotransposon silencing, cell differentiation, genomic imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation. DNA methylation generates a stable epigenetic mark… Click to show full abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that contributes to essential biological processes such as retrotransposon silencing, cell differentiation, genomic imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation. DNA methylation generates a stable epigenetic mark associated with silencing of gene expression. Aberrant DNA methylation is associated with the development of different tumor types. Reversing DNA methylation is a rational strategy to restore gene re-expression and induce cell differentiation in cancer. DNA hypomethylating agents is a class of drugs that demonstrated efficacy in different tumors. In this chapter, the classification of DNA hypomethylating agents, their pharmacodynamics and their potential drawbacks will be discussed.
               
Click one of the above tabs to view related content.