Publications by authors named "Germing U"

Lower risk (LR) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous hematopoietic stem and progenitor disorders caused by the accumulation of somatic mutations in various genes including epigenetic regulators that may produce convergent DNA methylation patterns driving specific gene expression profiles. The integration of genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic profiling has the potential to spotlight distinct LR-MDS categories on the basis of pathophysiological mechanisms. We performed a comprehensive study of somatic mutations and DNA methylation in a large and clinically well-annotated cohort of treatment-naive patients with LR-MDS at diagnosis from the EUMDS registry (ClinicalTrials.

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This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the myelodysplasia-related gene (MRG) as well as additional gene mutations on outcomes in intensively treated patients with -mutated ( ) AML. Targeted DNA sequencing of 263 genes was performed in 568 AML patients (median age: 59 years) entered into the prospective AMLSG 09-09 treatment trial. Most commonly co-mutated genes were (49.

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As median age of patients with acute myeloid leukemia is 72 years, older patients continue to be a vulnerable cohort representing significant challenges in clinical practice. Patient-specific comorbidities as well as leukemia-specific unfavorable molecular- and cytogenetics confer even poorer outcomes. Treatment of AML therefore needs to be less toxic to prevent harm while lowering or eradicating leukemic burden to prolong survival.

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The development of a fatal, clonal, autonomously proliferating CD4-CD8- chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)+ peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) occurred 1 month after a patient received treatment with tisagenlecleucel for relapsed primary central nervous system lymphoma. The PTCL had a clonal T-cell receptor rearrangement, which was already detectable in the apheresis product for CAR T-cell manufacturing and 7 months earlier for autologous transplantation. Somatic and mutations in CD34+ stem cells and their progeny were detected in the PTCL, in the apheresis specimen that was obtained for CAR T-cell production, and in the autotransplant.

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Article Synopsis
  • The WHO and International Consensus Classification 2022 aim to improve diagnosis and treatment decisions for myelodysplastic syndromes, but disparities in their implementation exist.
  • A panel of experts used a data-driven method and the Delphi consensus process to align the two classifications, focusing on genomic features to create harmonized labels for distinct clusters.
  • Key findings identified nine genomic clusters, with the most significant linked to biallelic TP53 inactivation, and highlighted the inadequacy of traditional morphological assessments in capturing the complexity of these diseases.
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  • Mutations commonly associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were studied in 127 patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), revealing varying prevalence rates like CEBPA (7), FLT3 (8), IDH1 (12), IDH2 (26), and NPM1 (11).
  • CMML patients with CEBPA, FLT3, and/or NPM1 mutations showed more severe symptoms and higher risk characteristics, indicating they were more frequently linked to the myeloproliferative subtype (MP-CMML).
  • The study suggests that these mutations should be included in CMML prognostic models and advocates for treating these patients with AML-type therapies due to their poor
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The acquisition of subsequent genetic lesions (clonal evolution, CE) and/or the expansion of existing clones (CEXP) contributes to clonal dynamics (CD) in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Although CD plays an important role in high-risk patients in disease progression and transformation into acute myeloid leukemia (AML), knowledge about CD in lower-risk MDS (LR-MDS) patients is limited due to lack of robust longitudinal data considering the long clinically stable courses of the disease. In this retrospective analysis, we delineate the frequency and the prognostic impact of CD in an unselected real-world cohort of LR-MDS patients.

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Since the late 1980s, patient registries have played a pivotal role in the elucidation of rare diseases. For myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), they revealed the disease actually to be diverse rather than rare. Registry data enabled the definition of various MDS subtypes and prognostic scores tailoring therapy.

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To assess treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with non-del(5q) lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. Patient medical records were reviewed in the USA, Canada (CAN), UK and the EU. Analysis included 119 patients in the USA/CAN (median age, 61.

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Article Synopsis
  • Lenalidomide (LEN) can help 60-70% of patients with del(5q) myelodysplastic neoplasm achieve independence from red blood cell transfusions (RBC-TI), but there's a concern about its toxicity and cost.
  • The HARMONY Alliance study followed 118 low-intermediate risk MDS patients who discontinued LEN, finding that 50 lost RBC-TI after a median of 49 months.
  • Factors like having a low transfusion burden before treatment, completing at least 12 LEN cycles, being younger, and having higher hemoglobin levels at withdrawal were linked to longer RBC-TI duration after discontinuing LEN.
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  • Mutations in the TP53 gene, especially multihit alterations, are linked to worse clinical outcomes in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
  • This study analyzed TP53 abnormalities in 682 patients with MDS who had an isolated deletion of chromosome 5 (MDS-del(5q)), revealing that 24% had multihit mutations, indicating a greater risk for leukemic transformation.
  • The study found that the effect of monoallelic mutations varies with the variant allele frequency (VAF); lower VAF (<20%) behaved like wild-type TP53, while higher VAF (≥20%) showed outcomes similar to multihit mutations, highlighting the need for careful consideration of TP53 status in
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Introduction: Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with ring sideroblasts (RS) or mutation (MDS-RS/) differ in many clinical features, but share others, such as anemia. RS and mutation can also be found in CMML.

Methods: We compared CMML with and without RS/ and MDS-RS/ considering the criteria established by the 2022 World Health Organization classification.

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Article Synopsis
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are blood disorders marked by irregularities in myeloid cells and low blood cell counts, often caused by genetic mutations, though classification has mostly focused on cell appearance.
  • A study analyzing genomic data from over 3,200 MDS patients identified 16 distinct molecular subtypes, revealing varied clinical outcomes, with the majority of patients (86%) fitting into specific genetic groups linked to different survival rates.
  • The findings suggest that understanding these genetically defined subgroups can enhance MDS classification and inform future treatment strategies, emphasizing the importance of genetic insight in managing the disease.
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Myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms share the characteristics of potential bone marrow infiltration as a primary or secondary effect, which readily leads to hematopoietic insufficiency. The mechanisms by which clonal malignant cells inhibit normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the bone marrow (BM) have not been unraveled so far. Given the pivotal role of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in the regulation of hematopoiesis in the BM niche it is assumed that MSCs also play a relevant role in the pathogenesis of hematological neoplasms.

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Article Synopsis
  • Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is the only curative option for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, and the timing of this treatment is crucial for maximizing benefits and minimizing risks.
  • A decision support system was developed to identify the optimal timing for HSCT based on clinical and genomic data from a large study of over 7,000 patients, comparing outcomes using the Molecular International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-M) against traditional scoring methods.
  • The findings suggest that patients with lower risk can benefit from delaying transplantation, while those at higher risk should undergo it immediately, indicating that the IPSS-M strategy significantly improves life expectancy and supports personalized treatment plans.
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  • Mutations in the UBA1 gene, which are linked to VEXAS syndrome, have been found in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), with a study identifying 7% of a cohort having specific UBA1 mutations.
  • An additional sequencing analysis of a larger group revealed 1% with other potentially harmful variants, and all 40 identified patients with likely/pathogenic mutations were male with various MDS subtypes.
  • Most patients with UBA1 mutations exhibited symptoms consistent with VEXAS syndrome, suggesting that routine screening for UBA1 mutations should be considered in MDS management.
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Gold standard for the establishment of the diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are cytomorphological features of hematopoietic cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirates. There is increasing evidence that bone marrow histomorphology not only aids in the diagnosis of MDS but can provide additional prognostic information, particularly through assessment of fibrosis and cellularity. However, there is only sparse data on direct comparison between histological and cytomorphological findings within the same MDS patient cohort.

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Despite notable advancements in infection prevention and treatment, individuals with hematologic malignancies still face the persistent threat of frequent and life-threatening complications. Those undergoing chemotherapy or other disease-modifying therapies are particularly vulnerable to developing infectious complications, increasing the risk of mortality. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) predominantly affect the elderly, with the incidence rising with age and peaking at around 70 years.

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Up to 50% of patients with high-risk myeloid malignancies die of relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Current sequential conditioning regimens like the FLAMSA protocol combine intensive induction therapy with TBI or alkylators. Venetoclax has synergistic effects to chemotherapy.

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Introduction: A previously published web-based App using Gradient-boosted models (GBMs) of eight laboratory parameters was established by Oster et al. to facilitate diagnosis or exclusion of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in patients.

Methods: To validate their algorithm, we compared 175 anemic patients with MDS diagnosis from our German MDS Registry with 1378 non-MDS anemic patients who consulted various specialties in the Düsseldorf university hospital.

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Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) has fascinated the medical community for some time. Discovered about a decade ago, this phenomenon links age-related alterations in hematopoiesis not only to the later development of hematological malignancies but also to an increased risk of early-onset cardiovascular disease and some other disorders. CHIP is detected in the blood and is characterized by clonally expanded somatic mutations in cancer-associated genes, predisposing to the development of hematologic neoplasms such as MDS and AML.

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Myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative neoplasms both represent hematologic diseases associated with bone marrow failure often resulting in anemia. For those patients, transfusion of red blood cell (RBC) units is essential but results in iron overload (IOL) that may affect various organ functions. Therefore, iron chelation therapy plays a major role in anemic patients, not only because it reduces IOL, but also because it may improve hematopoietic function by increasing hemoglobin or diminishing the requirement for RBC transfusions.

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