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Development of a clinical program for myeloid cancer prevention

George Vassiliou

George Vassiliou

MBBS, PhD

University of Cambridge

Project Term: February 1, 2024 - January 31, 2029

The majority of myeloid cancers remain incurable. We previously showed that individuals at risk can be identified years in advance, indicating that prevention may be a viable alternative to treatment. Here, we propose a program of work to establish a clinical platform for myeloid cancer prevention. This includes development of a screening strategy, improved understanding of myeloid cancer evolution, identification of treatment targets and establishment of a specialized clinic to deliver therapy.

Lay Abstract

The myeloid cancers encompass myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), affect ~10 per 100,000 individuals per year and remain lethal to the majority. Most cases arise from the shared ancestor of clonal hematopoiesis (CH) and individuals en route to developing these cancers can be identified years in advance. These observations raised hope that myeloid cancer prevention is a viable alternative to treatment. The aim of this application is to make myeloid cancer prevention a clinical reality. The work is a continuation of a previous LLS grant called “Prevention of myeloid cancers by understanding their pre-clinical evolution”.

Program
Specialized Center of Research Program
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