What's New in Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) Research and Treatment?

Research into the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is being done at many centers around the world.

CMML has been hard to study because it isn't common, and also because it's taken researchers many years to figure out what makes it different from other blood diseases. But scientists continue to make progress in understanding this disorder.

The information below is an overview of the latest research into CMML, including genetics and treatments.

Research into the genetics of CMML

Researchers are learning more about which changes (mutations) in the DNA inside normal bone marrow cells can cause them to develop into leukemia cells. (DNA is the substance that makes up our genes.)

Studies have found that changes in certain genes in CMML cells may help predict a person's outcome and how likely they are to go on to develop acute leukemia.

Researchers also hope that finding some of the gene changes in CMML cells might lead to treatments that target these changes (see below).

Research into treating CMML with chemotherapy and other drugs

Studies are being done to find which chemotherapy drugs can best treat CMML, while trying to limit side effects. New drugs are being developed and tested.

As researchers have learned more about what makes cancer cells different from normal cells, they've developed drugs that target these differences. Studies are now looking at some of these targeted therapies to treat CMML. These drugs target things like specific cell signaling pathways to shut down CMML cell growth.

Research into treating CMML with a stem cell transplant

A stem cell transplant is one of the main types of treatment for CMML, if it can be done. Scientists continue to refine stem cell transplants so that they work better and cause fewer problems. They are also looking at which patients will benefit the most and how newer transplant methods might be used to treat CMML.