FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HEMATOLOGISTS APPLAUD NEW NIH GRANT OPPORTUNITIES IN MPDs AND MDS
(WASHINGTON, June 2, 2004) – The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is pleased that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published Requests for Applications (RFAs) on Myeloproliferative Disorders (MPDs) and Myelodysplasia (MDS) research on Friday, May 21, 2004. For over three years, ASH has strongly supported the development of RFAs on MPDs and MDS at NIH. The Society is firmly convinced of the need to support new research initiatives to expand the basic knowledge of these two classes of diseases.
MPDs and MDS are two very different types of chronic diseases of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells that each have features of clonal/malignant cell growth and thus the possibility of eventual conversion to leukemia. MPDs are proliferative disorders characterized by uncontrolled overgrowth of the cells derived from bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, namely red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In sharp contrast, MDS is a group of diseases characterized by disordered growth, maturation, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells such that the affected patient usually has a deficiency of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets, or combinations of these three cell lines. These are primarily disorders of older patients and also occur in individuals who have undergone previous chemotherapy treatment for cancer. As the lifespan of the average American increases, MDS is becoming a very common disease.
“ASH is excited about the new NIH research opportunities in MPDs and MDS,” said Stanley L. Schrier, M.D., ASH President and Emeritus Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology at Stanford University School of Medicine. “Historically, these disorders have been understudied compared to their potential to be research models for other hematological diseases,” observed Dr. Schrier. “Furthermore, lack of understanding about the basic biology of these disorders has impaired our ability to design specific and highly effective treatments. It is not implausible to say that research in MPDs and MDS will someday determine the several triggers that lead to disordered or uncontrolled cell growth, which are the characteristics of leukemic stem cells.” Dr. Schrier remarked, “There is a strong consensus among members of the Society about the pressing need to increase research in MPDs and MDS.”
The MPDs RFA focuses on funding research into the new cellular and genetic markers associated with the origin and progression of MPDs. The MDS RFA wants to fund research that uncovers the critical genetic, biochemical, and molecular pathways that operate in the emergence and progression of MDS. For more information on the RFAs, please go to: http://www.hematology.org/government/news/rfa.cfm.
The American Society of Hematology (www.hematology.org) is the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Its mission is to further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic, hemostatic, and vascular systems, by promoting research, clinical care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology.
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