Clinical studies with fetal hemoglobin-enhancing agents in sickle cell disease

Fetal hemoglobin (HbF, alpha2gamma2) decreases polymerization of sickle hemoglobin, and high levels correlate with decreased morbidity and mortality in sickle cell disease (SCD). Therefore, a therapeutic goal for patients with SCD is pharmacologic reactivation of HbF. Decreased HbF production is associated with DNA methylation (by DNA methyltransferase [DNMT]) at the gamma-globin (HbF) gene promoter. The cytosine analogs 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine) hypomethylate DNA by inhibiting DNMT. In early studies, 5-azacytidine produced significant HbF elevations in patients with thalassemia and SCD, but clinical development of this class of agent was halted after a poorly controlled animal study suggested that 5-azacytidine might be carcinogenic. However, the majority of preclinical studies with decitabine have suggested a chemopreventive rather than carcinogenic effect. Furthermore, decitabine, unlike 5-azacytidine, does not incorporate into RNA and is a more directed DNA-hypomethylating agent. Therefore, we have pursued studies of decitabine to pharmacologically reactivate HbF in patients with SCD. In phase I/II studies, decitabine at DNA-hypomethylating, but noncytotoxic, doses was well tolerated and effective at increasing HbF and total hemoglobin levels both in patients who had and had not responded to prior hydroxyurea therapy. In treated patients, there were marked improvements in a range of surrogate clinical endpoints measuring red blood cell adhesion, endothelial damage, and coagulation pathway activity. Pharmacologic reactivation of HbF through DNA hypomethylation holds promise as an effective disease-modifying intervention for patients with SCD. Larger studies are required to confirm the safety and effectiveness of decitabine with chronic use, and to more clearly establish its role in patients with SCD.