Novel blood-based biomarker identified in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia
MD Anderson Research Highlight April 08, 2025
Inflammation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can impact responses to certain treatments, underscoring a need for better methods to identify inflammation and predict outcomes. To identify novel biomarkers, researchers led by , examined 251 different inflammatory proteins in blood samples from more than 500 patients with AML. Using machine learning on this blood-based platform, they developed a scoring system that incorporates an eight-protein signature ¨C the Leukemia Inflammatory Risk Score (LIRS) ¨C that was highly predictive of treatment responses and survival. One particular protein, OSMR, was identified as the strongest predictor of survival, chemotherapy response and early risk of death. The study suggests that OSMR has prognostic potential and can help identify treatments for the best possible outcomes in patients with AML. Learn more in .
Our study demonstrates that the degree of inflammation measured on a blood test in AML patients at the time of diagnosis can help us better understand the long-term outcomes. We are conducting more studies to evaluate the blood-based biomarker application in AML clinical trials, and whether these biomarkers can be exploited for therapeutic strategies.