What is allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)?

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a common hematologic disorder characterized by a variety of morphological and functional abnormalities of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow, resulting in the destruction of most hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow, and the patient’s symptoms are mostly complete cytopenia (i.e., low red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets). Currently, there is no effective drug treatment for MDS, and most patients require repeated transfusions of red blood cells and platelets, and many patients die from complications such as severe infections and hemorrhage. Qiu Zhixiang, Department of Hematology, Peking University First Hospital, has applied allogeneic bone marrow transplantation to cure MDS because it is a disease caused by abnormal hematopoietic stem cells. The Department of Hematology of Peking University Hospital has performed allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for more than 20 patients with MDS in recent years and achieved very satisfactory results with a success rate as high as 80%. One of the patients was 64 years old at the time of transplantation and the donor was his sister, 61 years old. With this treatment, most patients who were previously incurable have been restored to health. With the continuous development and improvement of bone marrow transplantation theory and technology, patients who are not fully compatible (such as relatives HLA5/6, 4/6 or even hemimatched) can now be transplanted, and the efficacy is comparable to that of fully compatible patients. With the continuous expansion of our bone marrow bank capacity, more and more patients will be able to find unrelated donors. It is believed that in the near future, more MDS patients will benefit from bone marrow transplantation.