HYPOMETHYLATION, NEW AREA OF RESEARCH

With the laws of nature described here, we continue to maintain that therapeutic interventions follow the various stages or layers of the cell.  That is there are drugs acting at membrane level, cytosolic level, mitochondria, nuclear etc...And combination therapy to be significant, should combine at least 2 different classes following these layers of cell division suggested.
In the Epigenic region, a prominent activity is methylation of genes.  This is achieved for promoting or  silencing certain genes.  The effect is certain when the genes involved are promoters or globally regulators of some function of significant.   In Leukemia, we have argued that the mains events are nuclear and epigenic (with a secondary lymphokine effect) putting center Hypomethylation as a therapeutic intervention. Indeed, other than induction chemotherapy using drugs inducing Nuclear havoc (Cytarabine and Daunorubicin), Decitabine and related Hypomethylating drugs have been the significant main intervention, particularly in the adult population because of perceived poor tolerance of standard induction approaches.

With the advance of target therapy, Hypomethylation has entered the microscopy of researcher.  It is now combined to standard induction in clinical trial.  Decitabine treatment has now been 10 days with better results, and much more is being done to further dissect how this group of drug works.  In fact, the knowledge that these medications are at risk of Deamination, has prompted studies of Anti-deaminasation (Plerixafor-an anti-CXCR4).   The challenge remains though!  which gene is actually being methylated and when. Methylation gene is a quick evolving history in a living cell and can quickly change however under effect of Core-binding like molecules, neoplastic processes, and or drug treatments!  Scientists are hard at work.