About this Research Topic
In recent times, our understanding of Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) has evolved significantly. New research emphasizes the pivotal role of chronic inflammation in propelling clonal evolution and disease progression, impacting symptom burden.
Notably, interferon-alfa2 (IFN) has gained recognition as a key component in the initial treatment of MPNs. Recent studies have unveiled a higher prevalence of MPNs than previously acknowledged, emphasizing the urgent need for molecular screening in at-risk patients for earlier MPN diagnosis. This early detection may also lead to the identification of second cancers, which MPN patients are predisposed to develop, likely due to chronic inflammation, immune deregulation, and impaired tumour immune surveillance.
The conventional "wait and watch strategy" for low-risk patients is undergoing scrutiny, as IFN treatment demonstrates the potential to induce minimal residual disease (MRD) characterized by low-burden JAK2V617F and normal bone marrow after approximately five years. The integration of next-generation sequencing at the time of diagnosis is on the rise, aiding early prognosis and treatment guidance.
Furthermore, the promising results from studies of IFN combination therapies, eg with JAK1-2 inhibitors, are envisaged to propel additional studies of stem-cell targeting therapy with IFN in combination with other agents that target inflammation-mediating pathways in MPN.
This Research Topic aims to spotlight these crucial aspects, focusing on novel agents used in MPN, the Revival of “Old Drugs“ ( e.g statins and bisphosphonates), and how we can combine these agents in the future where combination therapy is foreseen to be more frequently used instead of monotherapy with e.g pegylated interferon-alpha2 or hydroxyurea. In this regard incorporating mathematical modelling studies that validate the role of chronic inflammation as a catalyst for MPN development and underscoring the significance of commencing IFN treatment at the earliest juncture are highly important complementary tools. A promising future is envisioned for MPN patients, where early intervention with stem cell-targeted therapy (IFN) or a combination of IFN with agents addressing the chronic inflammatory state (e.g., ruxolitinib and statins) may pave the way for a broader cohort of patients to achieve MRD. Furthermore, the prospect of achieving MRD or even cure (at least an operational cure) through vaccination strategies is on the horizon.
Original research, reviews, brief research reports, and more article types are welcomed within this collection. For more information on this, please view the Article Types page or contact hematology.submissions@frontiersin.org.
Notably, interferon-alfa2 (IFN) has gained recognition as a key component in the initial treatment of MPNs. Recent studies have unveiled a higher prevalence of MPNs than previously acknowledged, emphasizing the urgent need for molecular screening in at-risk patients for earlier MPN diagnosis. This early detection may also lead to the identification of second cancers, which MPN patients are predisposed to develop, likely due to chronic inflammation, immune deregulation, and impaired tumour immune surveillance.
The conventional "wait and watch strategy" for low-risk patients is undergoing scrutiny, as IFN treatment demonstrates the potential to induce minimal residual disease (MRD) characterized by low-burden JAK2V617F and normal bone marrow after approximately five years. The integration of next-generation sequencing at the time of diagnosis is on the rise, aiding early prognosis and treatment guidance.
Furthermore, the promising results from studies of IFN combination therapies, eg with JAK1-2 inhibitors, are envisaged to propel additional studies of stem-cell targeting therapy with IFN in combination with other agents that target inflammation-mediating pathways in MPN.
This Research Topic aims to spotlight these crucial aspects, focusing on novel agents used in MPN, the Revival of “Old Drugs“ ( e.g statins and bisphosphonates), and how we can combine these agents in the future where combination therapy is foreseen to be more frequently used instead of monotherapy with e.g pegylated interferon-alpha2 or hydroxyurea. In this regard incorporating mathematical modelling studies that validate the role of chronic inflammation as a catalyst for MPN development and underscoring the significance of commencing IFN treatment at the earliest juncture are highly important complementary tools. A promising future is envisioned for MPN patients, where early intervention with stem cell-targeted therapy (IFN) or a combination of IFN with agents addressing the chronic inflammatory state (e.g., ruxolitinib and statins) may pave the way for a broader cohort of patients to achieve MRD. Furthermore, the prospect of achieving MRD or even cure (at least an operational cure) through vaccination strategies is on the horizon.
Original research, reviews, brief research reports, and more article types are welcomed within this collection. For more information on this, please view the Article Types page or contact hematology.submissions@frontiersin.org.
Keywords: Immune therapy, Interferon-alpha2, Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), early diagnosis and treatment, Target therapy
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