EPO and myelodysplastic syndrome: To date, supportive care with erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESA) has demonstrated higher efficacy compared to placebo [4,5], and is widely used for the treatment of low-risk MDS patients [6,7] (i.e., patients with IPSS score low/intermediate-1 (int-1)), leading to an erythroid response in up to 58% of patients [8,9].