Myelodysplastic syndromes/myeloproliferative overlap neoplasms

The myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) are haematologically diverse stem cell malignancies sharing phenotypic features of both myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) that display a paradoxical bone marrow phenotype hallmarked by myeloid proliferation in the context of bone marrow dysplasia and ineffective haematopoiesis. The unfolding MDS/MPN genomic landscape has revealed numerous mutations in signalling genes, such as CBL, JAK2, NRAS, KRAS, CSF3R, and others involving the spliceosome complex. These observations suggest that comutation of genes involved in dysplasia and bone marrow failure along with those of cytokine receptor signalling may, in part, explain the dual MDS/MPN phenotype. The respective MDS/MPN diseases are identified by the type of myeloid subset which predominates in the peripheral blood. Currently there are no standard treatment recommendations for most patients with MDS/MPN. To optimize efforts to improve the management and disease outcomes, it is essential to identify meaningful clinical and biologic endpoints and standardized response criteria for clinical trials.