New thesis on prognostication for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

Maria Creignou from the Hematology Unit (HERM) on the Division of Medication, Huddinge (MedH) is defending her thesis: “Enhancing prognostication for sufferers with myelodysplastic syndromes” on 27 October 2023. Her principal supervisor is Professor Eva Hellström Lindberg (MedH).

What’s the principal focus of your thesis?

My thesis is a couple of illness referred to as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). MDS is a bunch of blood cancers. Some MDS behave in a benign method, however others are considerably extra aggressive and may remodel into acute leukemia.

The main target of my thesis is to search out new markers/instruments that may assist us to precisely estimate the danger of early loss of life and/or transformation into acute leukemia over time and thus to offer appropriate data to the affected person and select the fitting remedy.

That are a very powerful outcomes?

In examine I, now we have developed a totally new prognostic scoring system (IPSS-M) that features all necessary genetic markers in MDS, and now we have proven that IPSS-M improves drastically prognosis estimation in comparison with the rating beforehand utilized in clinical practice (IPSS -R).

In examine II, now we have proven that gene expression analysis/RNA sequencing mixed with DNA sequencing supplies further priceless data when it comes to prognosis estimation in MDS.

Examine III confirmed that the addition of dynamic variables (transfusion dependency throughout early illness course) to the IPSS-M additional improves the calculation of prognosis in MDS sufferers.

How can this new information contribute to the development of individuals’s well being?

Novel findings on this thesis usually enhance estimation of prognosis each at prognosis and through the course of the illness in MDS sufferers. That is necessary to offer accurate information to sufferers and to help remedy determination.

What are your future ambitions?

I plan to proceed working as a hematologist and handle sufferers with MDS and different blood cancers. I additionally hope to have the ability to proceed analysis in the identical discipline, maybe with a better give attention to situations that precede MDS and/or improve the danger of MDS growth.