MDS 2021 | The immune system’s role in higher-risk MDS
Shahram Kordasti, MSc, MD, PhD, King’s College London, London, UK, discusses the role of the immune system in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) pathology and disease progression. Dr Kordasti explains that there is a background NRLP3-mediated inflammatory response in MDS leading to continuous inflammation that contributes to genomic instability, thereby resulting in quicker disease progression. In addition, long-standing inflammation leads to T-cell exhaustion. In parallel, specific mutations including TP53 mutations have been shown to lead to overexpression of immune checkpoint mutations, which prevents effective immune responses against malignant cells. Dr Kordasti emphasizes that there are still many unanswered questions relating to the underlying causes of inflammation and the interaction between somatic mutations and inflammation. This interview took place at the 16th International Congress on Myelodysplastic Syndromes, held virtually in 2021.
Disclosures
Shahram Kordasti, MSc, MD, PhD, has received honorarium from Novartis.
