Azacitidine in the management of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

ABSTRACT: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal hematopoeitic disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and potential transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For decades, the mainstay of treatment for MDS was supportive care, including transfusion of blood products and growth factors. Further understanding of disease biology led to the discovery of a high prevalence of hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes in high-risk MDS and secondary leukemias. Hence, the role of irreversible DNA methlytransferase inhibitors such as azacitidine was investigated with promising outcomes in the treatment of MDS. Azacitidine was initially approved in the USA by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004 for the treatment of all subtypes of MDS and was granted

SUBMITTER: Khan C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3627328 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature