[Recent advances in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes].
OBJECTIVE
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of clonal hematologic disorder, which combine ineffective hematopoiesis and evolution to acute myeloid leukemia. Significant progress has been made in the understanding of the disease pathogenesis, diagnostics and classification. Promising new agents and innovative therapeutic strategies are currently used. In this article we will review these achievements and their impact on the treatment of MDS.


BACKGROUND
The pathogenesis of MDS involves abnormalities of the MDS clone itself such as abnormal apoptosis, signalling or epigenetic regulation and abnormalities of the microenvironment such as immune deregulation or increased angiogenesis, which represent potential therapeutic targets. There is currently no standard treatment for MDS and allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative strategy. However, besides conventional chemotherapy and growth factors, new agents including hypomethylating agents, antiangiogenic drugs, immune modulatory agents have proved effective.


CONCLUSIONS
The interesting results achieved with these new agents show that it is necessary to continue investigation in order to improve therapeutic strategies in MDS.
Gelsi-Boyer
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Département de biopathologie, 232, boulevard Sainte-Marguerite, 13009 Marseille, France.
Vey
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N
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003582:Cytogenetics; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents