Dr. Couri Shares MPN Peoria Research Update September 2023
One of MPN Peoria's primary missions is to fund research into novel therapies for rare blood cancers called MPNs. MPN Peoria has donated funds raised from previous campaigns and hikes to Weill Cornell Medical Center, specifically to Dr. Joseph Scandura, an MPN researcher and physician at the Richard T. Silver, M.D. Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) Center in New York. Dr. Scandura and I stay in contact regarding new developments relating to their research. He recently reached out to share a copy of two research papers, which are linked separately below, in which he acknowledged MPN Peoria's contribution, and I wanted to pass along his brief update along with those two papers.
It is very important to me to keep our donors updated as to where the funds donated to MPN Peoria are used. I am proud that MPN Peoria has made and will continue to make contributions to the progress that Weill Cornell is making in advancing the science as it pertains to MPNs. As we gear up for our 2023 MPN Peoria Hike on November 18, 2023, I wanted to again thank you for your support of MPN Peoria and invite you to hike with us, as every dollar raised gets us one step closer to a cure. Thank you for all you do.
Dr. Couri
Summary from Dr. Scandura:
1. In the Blood Advances paper we show that monitoring how JAK2.V617F driver mutation propagates from the stem cells to mature blood cells carries prognostic information. The key here is that this “MPN fitness” can be serially tracked in patients and changes predict outcomes. We’re trying to simplify the method so it can be used as a monitoring biomarker in clinical trials (there is a great need for such measures).
2. The Leukemia paper has gotten some attention b/c it shows that available therapies can be quite effective for patients with PV. We’ve always been told that PV shortens life expectancy but our data suggests that accepting this is not necessary for most patients. The problem is that current standards are not followed at many places.
3. I have a grad student in the lab whose dissertation will be defining how MPN megakaryocytes drive MPN progression and pathologies. I often say that the greatest contributions we make are through the people we train. She plans to complete her dissertation with us and focus on MPNs. I think it could be an opportunity to name her as an MPN Peoria funded student. Paying forward to the next generation.