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Old Sun Apr 25, 2010, 05:59 AM
Birgitta-A Birgitta-A is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posts: 1,918
DNA methylation

Hi lotusbud,
I am afraid it is quite complicated to really understand our disease , symptoms and treatment but we can all learn something from the reseachers.

DNA methylation involves the addition of a methyl group (CH3OH) to the 5 position of the cytosine pyrimidine ring or the number 6 nitrogen of the adenine purine ring (cytosine and adenine are two of the four bases of DNA).

Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes show a high prevalence of tumor-suppressor gene hypermethylation. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, such as Vidaza and Dacogen, are therapeutic options for the treatment of MDS.

There are several methods to analyze DNA hypermethylation. This one - called pyrosequencing - is often used in trials:
http://www.nature.com/nprot/journal/....2007.314.html

I suppose it is very expensive to make this type of DNA methylation quantification so it is only done in trials.

Here are the results from a study of very low dose subcutaneous Dacogen administered daily or weekly times three in patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndrome. The overall response rate was 32% for the daily arm and 19% for the weekly (p=0.3).
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2009/webpr...aper20889.html
Kind regards
Birgitta-A
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