Invited Speaker: Targeting DNA hypermethylation by nanomedicine for acute myeloid leukemia therapy

Owing to the crucial contribution of promoter DNA hypermethylation to AML leukemogenesis and the dismal outcomes from DNA hypomethylating agent-based therapy, innovative liposome (Lip)- or lipopolyplex (LPs)- based nanocarriers for the delivery of bortezomib, miR-29b and Sp1 siRNA were developed. When leukemia cells were treated with these nano-drugs, DNA methyltransferases were downregulated, global DNA methylation was reduced, and tumor suppressor genes were re-expressed with a reduction of their promoter DNA methylation, thereby leading to the blockage of leukemia cell growth in vitro and the induction of leukemia regression in vivo.