Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Samples

Bay Biosciences provides high-quality, fresh frozen bone marrow aspirates with matched sera (serum),  plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) bio-fluids from patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Moreover, the sera (serum), plasma and PBMC bio-fluids are processed from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

In addition, the matched bio-fluids are collected from unique patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, development and drug discovery.

Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Overview

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), also known as myelodysplasia, are a type of rare blood cancer where, consequently, you don’t have enough healthy blood cells in the body. Furthermore, myelodysplastic syndromes occur when a group of disorders poorly forms blood cells or, in some cases, causes them not to work properly.

Specifically, myelodysplastic syndromes result from something not right in the spongy material inside the bones where blood cells are made (bone marrow).

Additionally, sometimes MDS is also called a “bone marrow failure disorder.” Moreover, there are many subtypes of MDS. For instance, some cases are mild, while others are more severe, and, as a result, carry a high risk of becoming Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

Sub Types

Importantly, the subtype you have, along with the severity of the disease, depends on many factors, including how low your blood counts are and any genetic changes you have in your bone marrow cells. In fact, in about one in three patients, MDS can progress to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), which is a rapidly growing cancer of bone marrow cells.

Moreover, according to The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation, studies suggest that, on average, 12,000 to 15,000 MDS cases are newly diagnosed annually in the United States. Furthermore, an estimated 50,000 to 75,000 patients currently live with MDS.

The exact number of people living with MDS is unknown. In fact, most people who get it are 65 or older, but additionally, it can happen to younger people, too. Moreover, it is more common in men. Thus, the syndromes are a type of cancer.

Initially, in the early stages of MDS, patients may not realize anything is even wrong. However, eventually, they may start to feel very tired and experience shortness of breath. Consequently, healthcare providers most often intend to manage myelodysplastic syndromes to slow the disease, ease symptoms, and prevent complications.

For instance, common measures include blood transfusions and medications to boost blood cell production. In certain situations, healthcare providers may recommend a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, to replace the bone marrow with healthy bone marrow from a donor.

On the other hand, other than stem cell transplants, there is no proven cure for MDS. Nevertheless, there are a number of treatment options to control symptoms, prevent complications, help patients to live longer, and improve their quality of life.

Normal Bone Marrow

Bone marrow exists in the middle of certain bones. It comprises blood-forming cells, fat cells, and supporting tissues. A small fraction of the blood-forming cells are blood stem cells. Moreover, stem cells need to be produced to create new blood cells.

Blood consists of blood cells floating in plasma. Plasma is mostly made of water. It also includes salts, proteins, hormones, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients and chemicals the body needs. There are 3 main types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Red blood cells: RBC’s pick up oxygen in the lungs and carry it to the rest of the body. These cells also bring carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Having too few red blood cells is called anemia. It can make a person feel tired and weak and look pale. Severe anemia can cause shortness of breath.

Leukocytes

White blood cells (also known as leukocytes) are important in defending the body against  infection. There are different types of white blood cells (WBC’s):

  • Granulocytes are white blood cells that have granules that can be seen under the microscope. In the bone marrow, granulocytes develop from young cells called myeloblasts. The most common type of granulocyte is the neutrophil. When the number of neutrophils in the blood is low, the condition is called neutropenia. This can lead to severe infections.
  • Monocytes are also important in protecting the body against germs. The cells in the bone marrow that turn into monocytes are called monoblasts.
  • Lymphocytes make proteins called antibodies that help the body fight germs. They can also directly kill invading germs. Lymphocytes are not usually abnormal in MDS.

Platelets

In fact, platelets are thought of as a type of blood cell, but they are actually small pieces of a cell. They start as a large cell in the bone marrow called the megakaryocyte. Pieces of this cell break off and enter the bloodstream as platelets. You need platelets for your blood to clot. They plug up damaged areas of blood vessels caused by cuts or bruises. A shortage of platelets, called thrombocytopenia, can result in abnormal bleeding or bruising.

Formation of Blood Cells

The process of making blood cells is called hematopoiesis. Blood cells are made in the bone marrow, a spongy tissue located inside certain bones. Marrow contains blood-forming stem cells that make copies of themselves to create all 3 types of blood cells. When blood cells are fully mature and functional, they leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream. Healthy people have enough stem cells to make all the blood cells they need.

Bone Marrow Failure

Bone marrow failure occurs when the marrow doesn’t produce enough red cells, white cells or platelets, or the blood cells that are produced are damaged or defective. This means the body cannot supply itself with the blood it needs. Myelodysplastic syndromes, along with aplastic anemia and PNH, are bone marrow failure diseases.

Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Blast Counts

Blasts are very young or immature white blood cells. In normal bone marrow, no more than 5 out of 100 white cells are blasts. Because patients with MDS may have too many bone marrow blasts, doctors use their blast numbers to help define the severity of their myelodysplastic syndrome:

  • If fewer than 5 out of 100 white cells in your bone marrow are blasts, you have lower-risk MDS.
  • If between 5 out of 100 and 19 out of 100 white cells in your bone marrow are blasts, you have higher-risk MDS.
  • If 20 or more out of 100 white cells in your bone marrow are blasts, you have Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). About 30 out of 100 patients diagnosed with MDS will eventually have AML.

Signs and Symptoms of Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

Often, myelodysplastic syndromes cause no symptoms early in the disease. But its effect on different types of blood cells can cause warning signs that include:

  • Constant tiredness. This is a common symptom of anemia, caused when you don’t have enough red blood cells
  • Unusual bleeding
  • Bruises and tiny red marks under the skin
  • Paleness
  • Shortness of breath when you’re exercising or being active

Causes of Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

Some researchers link some cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to known risk factors; however, most often, they cannot identify the causes of developing myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Researchers have made great progress in understanding how, specifically, certain changes in the DNA in bone marrow cells may cause MDS to develop. DNA is, in fact, the chemical that makes up our genes, which control how our cells function. Consequently, we usually look like our parents because they are the source of our DNA. Nevertheless, DNA affects more than the way we look.

For example, some genes control when our cells grow, divide into new cells, and die:

  • In particular, certain genes that help cells grow, divide, and stay alive are called oncogenes. 
  • On the other hand,  genes that help keep cell division under control, or cause cells to die at the right time are called tumor suppressor genes. 

Furthermore, cancers can be caused by gene mutations (defects) that turn on oncogenes or turn off tumor suppressor genes. Typically, mutations in several different genes inside bone marrow cells are needed before a person develops MDS. Notably, some of the mutations most often seen in MDS cells include those in the DNMT3A, TET2, ASXL1, TP53, RUNX1, SRSF2, and SF3B1 genes. In addition, some parents can pass on some of these gene changes, but more often people acquire them during their lifetimes.

Inherited Gene Changes

Researchers have found the gene changes that cause some rare inherited syndromes (like familial platelet disorder with a propensity to myeloid malignancy) linked to an increased risk of developing MDS.

Inherited changes in the RUNX1 gene cause this syndrome. Normally, this gene helps control the development of blood cells. Changes in this gene can lead to blood cells not maturing like they normally would, which can increase the risk of developing MDS.

Gene Changes Acquired During a Person’s Lifetime

Exact causes of why people without inherited syndromes develop MDS is unknown. Some outside exposures can lead to MDS by damaging the DNA inside bone marrow cells. For example, tobacco smoking contains chemicals that can damage genes. Exposure to radiation or certain chemicals such as benzene or some chemotherapy drugs can also cause mutations that lead to MDS.

But sometimes the gene changes that lead to MDS seem to occur for no apparent reason. Many of these gene changes are probably just random events that sometimes happen inside a cell, without having an outside cause. Gene changes inside cells can build up over a person’s lifetime, which might help explain why MDS largely affects older people.

Diagnosis of Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

To diagnose one of the myelodysplastic syndromes, doctors perform the following tests:

  • A physical exam to check for other possible reasons for the MDS symptoms
  • Blood sample to count the different types of cells
  • Bone marrow sample for analysis. This procedure involves a special needle into your hip bone or breastbone to remove the sample.
  • Order a genetic analysis of cells from the bone marrow

Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is, indeed a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Specifically, aamples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Moreover, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

Additionally, all our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In particular, critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Moreover, researchers find patient’s data extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Specifically, Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Therefore, please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

  • Firstly, Peripheral whole-blood
  • Secondly, Amniotic fluid
  • Third, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL)
  • Moreover, Sputum
  • Furthermore, Pleural effusion
  • Next, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
  • Also, Serum (sera)
  • Likewise, Plasma
  • In addition, Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
  • For example, Saliva
  • Also, Buffy coat
  • Moreover, Urine
  • Furthermore, stool samples
  • Next, Aqueous humor
  • Likewise, Vitreous humor
  • Lastly, Kidney stones (renal calculi)
  • Finally, Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.

Moreover, we can also procure most human bio-specimens, furthermore; we offer special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols. Additionally you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

 

  • 日本のお客様は、ベイバイオサイエンスジャパンBay Biosciences Japanまたはhttp://baybiosciences-jp.com/contact/までご連絡ください。