5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine induces terminal differentiation of leukemic blasts from patients with acute myeloid leukemias

In this study, the effects of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine on differentiation of human leukemic cells in primary suspension culture are reported for the first time. Morphological and functional differentiation was induced in cells from two acute monoblastic leukemias and two of three acute myeloid leukemias following repeated exposures to 1 mumol/L 5-aza- 2′-deoxycytidine. The observation that nontoxic concentrations of the drug are able to induce the in vitro differentiation of both monoblastic and myeloblastic leukemic cells into mature elements may encourage the exploitation of the differentiating properties of 5-aza- 2′-deoxycytidine in chemotherapy protocols for acute non-lymphoblastic leukemias.