“Currently none of the existing treatment prevents the transformation to acute myeloid leukaemia and only delays the progression of the disease. The heterogeneity of MDS is the main barrier to the development of specific treatments”.

This month of March a new research team has joined the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC). It is Dr Mayka Sánchez’s team, focused on the study of iron metabolism.

A research team at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC) has studied the two groups of patients (ones HIV positive and the others HIV free) who received the same combined chemotherapy for B-cell aggressive lymphoma. The results of this study have just been published in the international magazine AIDS. 

• It is an encouraging figure that increases the possibilities of finding an unrelated donor for any patient who needs it, wherever he or she lives.

• In spite of this rise, both the ONT and the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Foundation encourage citizens to become marrow donors.

• Spain already has more than (175.791) donors, a figure that has grown more than 70% over the last two years, thanks to the National Marrow Plan. Also, 60,000 cord blood units are stored in our country. 

• According to ONT-REDMO data, 5,796 people have decided to become bone marrow donors since the beginning of the year.

• Throughout 2014, ONT-REDMO began 855 compatible donor searches. Also, 80 Spanish bone marrow donors carried out their donations.

• Each year, around 5,000 new cases of leukaemia are diagnosed, many of which need a bone marrow transplant. 

Pablo Menéndez has been awarded a European Research Council Consolidator Grant for his project Genomic, Cellular and Developmental Reconstruction of Infant MLL-AF4+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

"It was an excellent idea to build up a special center dedicated to leukaemia and related disorders here in Barcelona. This center is collaborating with international research partners. The exchange to knowledge, techniques and ideas and the development of study protocols and projects with cooperating partners has tremendous impact on scientific progress".