Interestingly, aberrant splicing of several genes involved in the suppression/regulation of R-loop formation, including SETX and ATR, was shown in CD34+ cells of SF-mutant MDS patients.8▪ R-loop induced DNA damage may give rise to deleterious mutations contributing to the clonal advantage of these cells (Fig. 1). This evidence concerns the gene CD34 and myelodysplastic syndrome.