Re: Methylation May OfferTreatment Possibilities for CLL

[Guest guest]

Incidentally, EGCG from green tea is a DNA demethylator. That may account for

the reputed therapeutic effect of EGCG in CLL. (see

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=14633667 )

Methylation May OfferTreatment Possibilities for CLL

Am J Hematol. 2006 Aug 21; [Epub ahead of print]

Epigenetics* and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Yu MK.

Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, University

of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The DNA methylation** level in patients with chronic lymphocytic

leukemia is generally lower than healthy individuals.

Although DNA methylation is globally decreased, regional

hypermethylation of gene promoters leads to gene silencing. Many of

these genes have tumor suppressor phenotypes.

Unlike mutations or deletions, hypermethylation is potentially

reversible after inhibition with DNA methylation modulators.

Myelodysplastic syndrome has been a model disease in which treatment

of patients results in demethylation of specific genes. The story in

patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia is slowly unraveling as

epigenetic modifications likely also play an important role.

Ongoing clinical trials correlating clinical response to gene

expression after treatment with DNA methylation inhibitors will

ultimately allow us to better risk stratify and predict the subgroup

of patients who will benefit from treatment with this class of drugs.

Am. J. Hematol., 2006, © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 16924647 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

* refers to inheritable information that does not include changes in

the base sequence of DNA.

** refers to the substitution of a hydrogen atom with a methyl

group. Cancer may be associated with widespread hypomethylation and

site specific hypermethylation.