Epigenetic down-regulation of BIM expression is associated with reduced optimal responses to imatinib treatment in chronic myeloid leukaemia

Our data indicate that down-regulation of BIM is epigenetically controlled by methylation in a percentage of CML patients and has an unfavourable prognostic impact, and that the combination of imatinib with a de-methylating agent may result in improved responses in patients with decreased expression of BIM.