Acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplasia research

In some situations, inclusion in a clinical research protocol may be proposed. A clinical trial allows a patient to have access to a new drug that is believed to improve the effectiveness of the treatment. It is conducted in the best safety conditions in accordance with the regulations. The details of participation in a clinical trial will be explained by the medical team. A written consent form must be signed by the patient, who can leave the trial at any time without justification, if they so wish. They will then be treated by a hematologist doctor in accordance with the best standards of care. 

Institut Curie also carries out basic research on acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplasia. Researchers from the institute have recently shown that the number of active stem cells increases with aging. But the risk of mutation increases if there are more stem cells, and, with it, the risk of having cancer. In terms of leukemia, Institut Curie also seeks to understand what triggers these very aggressive myeloid leukemias after the management of another cancer by chemotherapy, and therefore the effect of chemotherapy on healthy stem cells. From this perspective, both the pre-leukemic myeloproliferative state of cells and defects in cell maturation (without proliferation), which can also lead to leukemia, are being investigated. Understanding these mechanisms could pave the way for the development of new therapies. 

Institut Curie has developed new methods of tracing cell lines, to follow the descendants of individual cells, with the idea of constituting the genealogy from stem cells to mature cells, in close collaboration with clinicians, bioinformaticians, etc.