OUR RESEARCH IMPACT

The MPN Research Foundation: A Trusted Partner in Blood Cancer Research

For nearly two decades, the MPN Research Foundation has been a driving force in blood cancer research and the development of new treatment options for MPN patients.

With more than $15 million in funding and over 60 funded research projects, we have made a significant difference in advancing our understanding of the causes of MPNs, the development of new drug therapies and in cutting edge research that has been published in leading scientific journals. Click here to read the latest report on progress from our 2015-2017 MPN Challenge Grantees.

Our contributions to MPN research have included:

• Helped develop the SCT Spectrum Timing Tool to guide patient and physician discussions around timing for a stem cell transplant.
• Funded discovery of CALR mutation, found in 73% of JAK2 and MPL negative MPN patients
• Funded first large-scale tissue bank and associated data bank at the Mayo Clinic, enabling rapid testing of new JAK2 inhibiting drugs.
• Funded MPD Research Alliance that enabled pre-clinical studies of JAK inhibitors in animal models of MPN. 
• Funded the development of a knock-in JAK2V617 mouse model that enabled the identification of an MPN stem cell population that is not affected by JAK2 Inhibitors. Elimination of these cells will be necessary for a cure. 
• Funded continued research on the TET2 mutation and the effects of TET2 loss on MPN’s, establishing the precise frequency of the TET2 MPN mutation and its correlation with the MPN phenotype. 
• Funded the identification of Ikaros and CUX1 as genes that are lost during progression to AML possibly leading to new targets for therapeutic intervention. 
• Funded a study to understand the basis of interferon, specifically pegasys, mechanisms of action in treating MPN’s, in anticipation of a phase 3 study of this drug in polycythemia vera patients. 
• Funded multiple new investigators, motivating and supporting their early interest in the field, helping to assure their lifelong commitment to MPN research. Our assistance empowered these researchers to receive future government and private grants, and positioned them to emerge as leaders in the field. 
• Submited data to DBGAP – the first full genomic sequencing project for MPN patients that requires data to be deposited in a publicly accessible database for qualified scientists to study and evaluate.