azacitidine + fludarabine + cytarabine

This investigational combination therapy consists of the hypomethylating agent azacitidine followed by a chemotherapy regimen of fludarabine and cytarabine. It is being developed by the Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia & Lymphoma (TACL) Consortium specifically for pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The treatment strategy utilizes azacitidine as an epigenetic 'priming' agent; by inhibiting DNA methyltransferase, it reverses aberrant DNA hypermethylation to restore the expression of tumor suppressor genes. This priming is intended to sensitize resistant leukemia cells to the subsequent cytotoxic effects of the antimetabolites fludarabine and cytarabine, which inhibit DNA synthesis and induce apoptosis. The regimen was evaluated in a Phase I clinical trial (NCT01861002) involving children and young adults.

Other names

azacytidine-Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia Consortium-leukemia (acute myeloid)-leukemia (acute lymphoblastic)5-azacytidine in combination with chemotherapyAzacytidine and Chemotherapy for Pediatric Relapsed/Refractory ALL or AML