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Activity of sirolimus in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome – results of a pilot study
Author(s) -
Platzbecker U.,
Haase M.,
Herbst R.,
Hänel A.,
Voigtmann K.,
Thiede C. H.,
Mohr B.,
Schleyer E.,
Leopold T.,
Orth M.,
Hänel M.,
Ehninger G.,
Bornhäuser M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2005.05360.x
Subject(s) - sirolimus , cytopenia , medicine , myelodysplastic syndromes , gastroenterology , urinary system , platelet , dysplasia , refractory (planetary science) , bone marrow , biology , astrobiology
Summary The pathophysiology of the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) involves disturbed regulation of angiogenesis, apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation as well as immune surveillance. Increasing data suggest that sirolimus might affect these pathways positively, thus being of possible therapeutic benefit in patients with this disease. Nineteen patients ( n = 19) with a median age of 72 years (range 54–80 years) diagnosed with MDS received sirolimus orally with a target blood concentration of 3–12 ng/ml. Sirolimus was administered for a median of 3·7 months (range 0·3–11 months). Three patients [1 × refractory anaemia with excess blasts (RAEB)‐2, 1 × RAEB‐1, 1 × refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia] showed either a major (1 × platelet, 1 × neutrophil) or a minor (1 × erythroid, 2 × platelet) haematological response according to International Working Group criteria. Major side‐effects were hyperlipidaemia ( n = 4), stomatitis ( n = 3), thrombocytopenia ( n = 2) and urinary tract infection ( n = 1). These data suggest that sirolimus has activity in a subset of patients with more advanced MDS.