Myelodysplastic syndromes are a heterogeneous group of bone marrow diseases that present different characteristics in each patient. The disease generally affects people over the age of 60, an age when a bone marrow transplant, which might be a solution, can not be performed on account of the patient's age. Although in some cases they do not require chemotherapy, for 30% of patients the course of the disease is very aggressive. There are currently few treatments and they are inefficacious at curing the disease.
Why do we need to investigate?
Because of the advanced age of many of these patients, a bone marrow transplant is not a viable option in many cases. We therefore need research in order to find new treatments to cure the largest possible number of affected patients.
Research will reveal the origin and cause of this disease and we will learn why some patients react quickly, and others slowly, to it and thus be better equipped to find the most suitable medication for each kind of patient.
The impact of our work
The IJC's myelodysplastic syndromes research group is investigating the genetic changes that patients undergo, both those suffering from the aggressive course of the disease as well as those whose course is slower, to better understand the mechanisms responsible for the way the disease progresses. Once these mechanisms have been identified, the second phase of research will be centred on finding the right medication to correct the alterations that make it possible for the disease to progress.
Another aspect of the group's lines of research is the study of factors that might lead to the appearance of this disease, such as harmful environmental exposure and eating habits.
Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute Dossier
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