Review of the clinical experience with 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine in solid tumors
Aparicio, A.; Weber, J.S.
Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs 3(4): 627-633
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 1472-4472 PMID: 12090735 Document Number: 542895
In recent years the importance of epigenetic changes in carcinogenesis has been unfolding. It is now clear that the fifth base of the genome, methylcytosine, plays a critical role in the control of gene expression during normal development and carcinogenesis. Efforts to decrease methylation in neoplasias as a therapeutic strategy have been productive in hematologic malignancies but disappointing in solid tumors. The following is a review of the clinical experience with the agents 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine in solid malignancies and a discussion of the difficulties encountered.