Evidence Of Targetable Immune Dysfunction In The Bone Marrow Of Patients With Intermediate/High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome Refractory To Hypomethylating Agents

Background Growing evidence indicates that a dysfunctional adaptive immune response contributes to the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Intermediate/high (I/H)-risk MDS is associated with immunosuppression, and median overall survival in hypomethylating agent (HMA)-refractory patients (pts) remains poor at < 6 months. Thus, new immune checkpoint-targeting therapies may be important for restoring effective anti-tumor T-cell mechanisms in these pts. Here we aim to evaluate the relationship between immunomodulatory and regulatory targets in lymphocytes and CD34+ blasts, cytogenetics and prior treatment regimens to inform future novel immunotherapy combinations.