PROJECT SUMMARY

Healthy blood cells defend and repair the body and provide essential oxygen to tissues. In myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) the bone marrow fails to produce enough healthy blood cells. Moreover, 20–30% of MDS patients progress to blood cancer (acute myeloid leukemia: AML). Which patients will develop leukemia? Current methods for predicting AML progression (e.g. the IPSS-M scoring system) do not identify which MDS cell populations evolve into AML or how to distinguish abnormal cells from healthy ones. Our research leverages advanced single-cell technologies to study MDS cells in unprecedented detail. By analyzing cell proteins, genes, and mutations, we have uncovered unique cellular features and surface biomarkers that may predict AML risk. This project has two main goals: 1) to identify additional protein markers that signal transformation risk, and 2) to validate these markers and integrate them into routine clinical tests using flow cytometry. We expect that by targeting high-risk cells, we will improve risk assessment, guide treatment strategies, and identify new therapeutic targets to enhance outcomes for MDS patients.