New research at the BC Cancer Agency is helping to explain how specific genetic changes cause the bone marrow disorder - myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) - which causes failure of the bone marrow to produce blood cells and can progress to aggressive leukemia.

Published today in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers at the BC Cancer Agency have identified that a loss of either one of two microRNAs, namely miR-145 and miR-146a on chromosome 5q, can lead to a type of preleukemia called MDS. MicroRNAs are genes that regulate the expression of multiple other genes. MDS is a bone marrow disorder caused by genetic changes in blood stem cells; which results in low blood counts, anemia, and the possibility of bone marrow failure. Thirty to forty percent of patients with MDS may later develop acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer.

“The most common genetic finding in MDS is the loss of part of chromosome 5. However, it has been unclear which genes that reside on this chromosome are responsible for causing the disease” states principal investigator, Dr. Aly Karsan.

With the new knowledge of the loss of the two microRNAs on chromosome 5 play a role in causing this disorder, researchers can further explain how certain immune modulator drugs can help combat the disease, and potentially be able to treat patients based on their genetics.

“It is important to have a solid understanding of the biology of cancer in order to develop new drugs”, says Dr. Karsan. With the continued support of the collaborators at the BC Cancer Agency, and with generous patient samples, further research will hope to understand whether monitoring microRNA levels can predict which patients will respond to specific drugs.

This advancement in research on the syndrome is a result of the collaborative effort of BC Cancer Agency’s research labs including the Genome Sciences Centre and the Terry Fox Laboratory, and clinical samples from collaborators at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, with Dr. Daniel Starczynowski, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Karsan’s lab, playing an important role in driving the research forward.

The Canadian Institute of Health Research; Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, and the Canadian Cancer Society, as well as the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Terry Fox Foundation provided research funding. Core support for research at the BC Cancer Agency is provided by the BC Cancer Foundation.

The BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds to support research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency.

-30-

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Hannah Rose
Communications
BC Cancer Agency
Tel: 604.877.6000 ext. 4813
hrose@bccancer.bc.ca