[Research Progress on Gene Expression Abnormality of Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells in Myelodysplastic...

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of heterogeneous clonal disease involving one or more series of hematopoietic cells. Its pathogenesis is still unclear. No effective targeted drug is available to prevent this disease progression. MDS originates in hematopoietic stem cells. Recent researches found that the complex abnormal gene expression occurred in bone marrow CD34⁺ cells plays a key role in development of MDS. Some of these genes are closely related with the patient's prognosis and survival, such as DLK1, ribosomal transcripts gene, Toll-like receptors gene, EPA-1 and interferon-stimulated genes. Due to heterogeneity of this disease, abnormal gene expression profiles in bone marrow CD34⁺ cells are closely associated with particular FAB or cytogenetic subtypes. To elucidate the pathogenesis of MDS and investigate its therapeutic target, this article reviews progress of researches on abnormal gene expression profiles of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in low-risk, high-risk patients and MDS patients who carry common cytogenetic abnormalities.