NEW DELHI — A team of Australian researchers has developed a new targeted therapeutic approach that could significantly improve treatment for myelofibrosis, a rare and serious form of blood cancer that disrupts the body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells.
Myelofibrosis can cause severe fatigue, bone pain, an enlarged spleen, and a markedly reduced quality of life. While existing treatments can help manage symptoms, there is currently no cure for the disease.
The new research, published in the journal Blood, shifts focus away from symptom control and instead targets the abnormal blood cells that drive the disease itself using immunotherapy-based strategies.
“People with myelofibrosis are often treated with therapies that help control symptoms, but they don’t selectively target the abnormal cells driving the disease,” said Prof. Daniel Thomas, director of the Blood Cancer Program at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. “Our research shows that by focusing on what makes these cells different, it may be possible to develop treatments that are both more effective and more targeted. This is part of a major paradigm shift in the treatment of myelofibrosis and related diseases.”
By studying patient-derived cells, the research team identified two distinct biological targets that could allow for more precise elimination of disease-causing cells while sparing healthy ones. The findings underscore the promise of precision immunology, which harnesses the immune system to recognize and attack malignant cells without broadly damaging normal tissue.
The study also suggests that myelofibrosis may exist in multiple biological forms, each potentially requiring a different targeted treatment strategy.
“The future of cancer treatment lies in understanding disease at a molecular and immune level and then translating that knowledge into therapies that are potent, long-lasting, and precise,” said Angel Lopez, head of human immunology at SA Pathology.
Researchers cautioned that while the findings are encouraging, further laboratory work and clinical development will be required before the approach can be tested in patients. (Source: IANS)
