¹Service d'hématologie clinique, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny, France

Correspondence: Professor P Fenaux, Service d'hématologie clinique, Hôpital Avicenne, 125 rue de Stalingrad, 93009 Bobigny, France. E-mail: pierre.fenaux@avc.aphp.fr

Received 25 January 2008; Accepted 30 January 2008; Published online 6 March 2008.

Abstract

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) remain challenging to both clinicians and biologists. This year's edition of the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology has provided several breakthroughs in the biology and therapeutics of MDS, such as uncovering of the molecular genetics of the 5q- syndrome and clear evidence of a survival advantage with a hypomethylating agent in high-risk MDS. We summarize those advances and delineate some perspectives for these diseases.