Fetal hemoglobin induction in azacytidine responders enlightens methylation patterns related to blast clearance in higher-risk MDS and CMML.

Background: As new treatment options for patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes are emerging, identification of prognostic markers for hypomethylating agent (HMA) treatment and understanding mechanisms of their delayed and short-term responses are essential. Early fetal hemoglobin (HbF) induction has been suggested as a prognostic indicator for decitabine-treated patients. Although epigenetic mechanisms are assumed, responding patients' epigenomes have not been thoroughly examined.

"Crosstalk between non-coding RNAs and transcription factor LRF in non-small cell lung cancer".

Epigenetic approaches in direct correlation with assessment of critical genetic mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are currently very intensive, as the epigenetic components underlying NSCLC development and progression have attained high recognition. In this level of research, established human NSCLC cell lines as well as experimental animals are widely used to detect novel biomarkers and pharmacological targets to treat NSCLC. The epigenetic background holds a great potential for the identification of epi-biomarkers for treatment response however, it is highly complex and requires precise definition as these phenomena are variable between NSCLC subtypes and systems origin.

Non-Viral Episomal Vector Mediates Efficient Gene Transfer of the β-Globin Gene into K562 and Human Haematopoietic Progenitor Cells.

β-Thalassemia is a subgroup of inherited blood disorders associated with mild to severe anemia with few and limited conventional therapy options. Lately, lentiviral vector-based gene therapy has been successfully applied for disease treatment. However, the current development of non-viral episomal vectors (EV), non-integrating and non-coding for viral proteins, may be helpful in generating valid alternatives to viral vectors.

Transcriptional repression of lncRNA and miRNA subsets mediated by LRF during erythropoiesis.

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) species, mainly long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been currently imputed for lesser or greater involvement in human erythropoiesis. These RNA subsets operate within a complex circuit with other epigenetic components and transcription factors (TF) affecting chromatin remodeling during cell differentiation. Lymphoma/leukemia-related (LRF) TF exerts higher occupancy on DNA CpG rich sites and is implicated in several differentiation cell pathways and erythropoiesis among them and also directs the epigenetic regulation of hemoglobin transversion from fetal (HbF) to adult (HbA) form by intervening in the γ-globin gene repression.