In this report, we demonstrate that valproic acid (VPA), a drug that has been used for
decades in the treatment of epilepsy and as a mood stabilizer, triggers replication-
independent active demethylation of DNA. Thus, this drug can potentially reverse DNA
methylation patterns and erase stable methylation imprints on DNA in non-dividing cells.
Recent discoveries support a role for VPA in the regulation of methylated genes; however,
the mechanism has been unclear because it is difficult to dissociate active demethylation …