Since elevated levels of IL-6 are associated with leukemic transformation and poor prognosis both in animal models of MDS and in patients with AML (Mei et al. 2022; Sanchez-Correa et al. 2013), respectively, the increased levels of both IL-6 and G-CSF provide a crucial clue on the mechanisms underlying development of MDS and leukemic transformation in SDS patients. Here, CSF3 is linked to acute myeloid leukemia.