Demethylating agents in myeloid malignancies.

Purpose of Review Two demethylating agents are approved in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): 5-azacitidine and 5-aza-2′-deoxycitidine (decitabine). These drugs are structurally related and induce DNA hypomethylation. Aberrant DNA methylation is associated with gene silencing. It is proposed that hypomethylating agents work by inducing re-expression of epigenetically silenced genes. Here, we provide an up-to-date summary of the clinical experience with these drugs.