Cancer

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting DNMT1 could help treat gastric cancer. In patients, high levels of DNMT1 in tumor samples were associated with disease progression and poor overall survival. In a xenograft mouse model of gastric cancer, the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor Dacogen decitabine or a DNMT1 inhibitor tool compound decreased tumor growth compared with no treatment. Next steps could include testing DNMT1 inhibition in other models of gastric cancer.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Eisai Co. Ltd. and Johnson & Johnson market Dacogen for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), have the compound approved for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and in Phase I testing to treat ovarian cancer. ...