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Molecular basis of myelodysplastic syndromes

Abstract

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are myeloid neoplasms characterized by dysplasia in one or more cell lines, ineffective hematopoiesis and variable risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. In the past few years, important steps have been taken in characterizing the molecular basis of MDS. More recently, somatic mutations in genes encoding core components of the RNA splicing machinery have been detected in high proportions of MDS patients, and are shown to be founding mutations in many instances. These mutations have different clinical significance, and their incorporation into current stratification systems might improve risk assessment in MDS.

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Acknowledgements

MC has received grant support from Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC).

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Correspondence to M Cazzola.

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The author declares no conflict of interest.

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This article was published as part of a supplement that was supported by Novartis, MSD Italia, Roche, Celgene, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Gilead, Adienne, Italfarmaco, Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals with an unrestricted educational contribution to AREO—Associazione Ricerche Emato-Oncologiche (Genoa) and AMS—Associazione Malattie del Sangue (Milan) for the purpose of advancing research in acute and chronic leukemia.

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Cazzola, M. Molecular basis of myelodysplastic syndromes. Leukemia Suppl 1 (Suppl 2), S35–S36 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/leusup.2012.20

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