MDS (Myelodisplastic syndromes) and AML (acute myeloid leukemia) are aggressive forms of blood cancers with poor survival rates. Younger patients with these cancers are usually given strong chemotherapy to try to fight the disease. However, older patients or those with more serious forms of MDS or AML are typically given a different treatment, which involves drugs called hypomethylating agents (HMAs). HMA treatment costs up to ~8000 CAD per month with a typical treatment length of 4 to 6 months. Unfortunately, over half of these patients do not respond to HMA therapy, which in turn leads to ineffective therapy and higher healthcare costs.  

This project will leverage the research expertise of Dr. Aly Karsan at BC Cancer to develop a novel predictive test to identify MDS/AML patients who respond to HMA therapy. It will then be clinically implemented in collaboration with Dr. Kevin Song (Vancouver General Hospital, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program).  

The test will be developed using state-of-the-art single-cell sequencing technology to detect epigenetic patterns from patient samples and predict mechanisms that lead to therapy resistance. The predictive test will then undergo a clinical implementation strategy to integrate the test into routine clinical diagnostics in British Columbia.  

The healthcare sector will greatly benefit from this predictive test, enabling physicians to avoid prescribing unnecessary therapy and instead focus on alternative therapeutic choices. The findings will also open opportunities for discovering novel therapeutics for patients who do not respond to the current treatment regimen.