We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




New Lab Model to Help Find Treatments for Aggressive Blood Cancer

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 07 Jul 2025

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a type of blood cancer that often progresses into Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a highly aggressive form of cancer that is difficult to diagnose and treat. More...

As MDS evolves into AML, the mutations driving the disease are often hard to pinpoint, making it challenging to develop effective treatments. The progression from MDS to AML can be accompanied by an array of genetic changes, including mutations in the CEBPA gene, which plays a significant role in this transition. This progression often involves the reduction of healthy cells, the blockage of white blood cell formation, and the growth of aberrant cells that divide rapidly, even in response to chemotherapy. The difficulty in diagnosing and understanding these mutations in real-time has hindered the development of effective treatments. Now, researchers have developed a new lab model that could accelerate the process of drug screening and diagnosis by providing a more accurate and quicker way to study these mutations.

The solution was developed by a team of researchers at the University of Birmingham (Birmingham, UK) who created a new cell culture model based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from a patient with MDS. These iPSCs, which can give rise to any cell type in the body, were used to study how MDS progresses and to investigate the role of the CEBPA mutation. The team used blood cells from the patient and reprogrammed them into iPSCs, allowing them to create both white and red blood cells in the lab. By modifying the patient’s genome to include the mutation in the CEBPA gene, the researchers were able to replicate the disease’s progression, making the cells behave similarly to the patient’s real cells. This model presents an exciting opportunity to study the disease at a cellular level and recreate the mutations responsible for the transition from MDS to AML.

The model was validated through rigorous testing and comparison with the patient’s actual cells. The researchers showed that the lab-grown cells behaved just like the patient's real cells, confirming that the CEBPA mutation plays a crucial role in the disease's progression. The findings were published in Nature Communications, highlighting the potential of this new model in understanding blood cancers. The research demonstrated that the mutation of the CEBPA gene leads to significant changes in gene activity, pushing the cells toward malignancy. This breakthrough could facilitate the development of novel treatments and diagnostics for MDS and AML. Moving forward, the team plans to use this model to conduct more elaborate drug screening experiments to identify potential therapies for this aggressive blood cancer.

“Firstly, we developed a powerful and true to life model for future research using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from an actual patient which presents an exciting future for studying blood cancers as we are also able to recreate the mutations that led to the cancer,” said Dr. Paloma Garcia, lead author of the study and researcher at the University of Birmingham. “Secondly, the confirmation that the mutation of the CEBPA gene plays such an important role in disease progression presents a significant step towards new ways to treat and diagnose MDS and avoid more serious conditions. I believe that our new cell culture model could form the basis of elaborate drug screening experiments which could help to find potential treatments for what currently is a highly aggressive blood cancer.”

Related Links:
University of Birmingham


Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
New
Laboratory Software
ArtelWare
New
Anterior Nasal Specimen Collection Swabs
53-1195-TFS, 53-0100-TFS, 53-0101-TFS, 53-4582-TFS
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: The microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood (Photo courtesy of University of the Basque Country)

Portable and Disposable Device Obtains Platelet-Rich Plasma Without Complex Equipment

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) plays a crucial role in regenerative medicine due to its ability to accelerate healing and repair tissue. However, obtaining PRP traditionally requires expensive centrifugation... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The 3D paper-based analytical device has shown high clinical accuracy for adult-onset immunodeficiency (Photo courtesy of National Taiwan University)

Paper-Based Device Accurately Detects Immune Defects in 10 Minutes

Patients with hidden immune defects are especially vulnerable to severe and persistent infections, often due to autoantibodies that block interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), a key molecule in immune defense.... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The groundbreaking salmonella antimicrobial resistance prediction platform has demonstrated 95% accuracy (Photo courtesy of Yujie You et al., DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.01.013)

New Platform Leverages AI and Quantum Computing to Predict Salmonella Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella strains are a growing public health concern due to the overuse of antimicrobials and the rise of genetic mutations. Accurate prediction of resistance is crucial for effective... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The newly designed ExoPatch successfully distinguished melanoma from healthy skin in mice (Photo courtesy of Jeremy Little/Michigan Engineering)

Microneedle Skin Patch Detects Melanoma Without Biopsy or Blood Draw

Melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, currently requires patients, especially those with fair skin and moles, to undergo regular doctor visits and biopsies every six months to determine if... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.