David C. Michae, Vice President of Institutional Relations at Oxford University Biotech Society and Doctoral Researcher at University of Oxford, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Cancer is not only driven by mutations in DNA. Sometimes the problem is how genes are switched on or off. That is the world of epigenetics.
I am excited to share that our new paper has just been published in Epigenomics.
Epigenetic dysregulation is now recognized as a hallmark of cancer, and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis) were among the first epigenetic therapies approved for clinical use in hematological cancers. Instead of altering the genetic code, these drugs work by reversing abnormal DNA methylation, thereby reactivating silenced tumor suppressor genes and boosting the tumor’s visibility to the immune system.
In this review, we explore:
- The clinical evolution of DNMT inhibitors such as azacitidine and decitabine
- Why monotherapy often struggles in solid tumors
- The growing promise of combination therapies (e.g., with immunotherapy or targeted therapies)
- Emerging directions, including next-generation DNMTis and biomarker-guided treatment
The field of epigenetic therapy is rapidly evolving, particularly as we move toward precision oncology and combination-based approaches. A deeper mechanistic understanding of DNMT inhibitors will be critical to unlocking their full potential in this regard.
I am grateful to my supervisor and co-author Parinaz Mehdipour, and thankful for the support of colleagues at the Mehdipour lab, the Ludwig Cancer Research Institute, and the University of Oxford.
I hope this review serves as a useful resource for researchers and clinicians working at the intersection of epigenetics, drug development, and cancer therapy.”
Title: DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in oncology: clinical progress, limitations and future directions
Authors: David C. Michael, Parinaz Mehdipour
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