« In this issue of Blood, Rao et al reveal important insights into how hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) subpopulations contribute to myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) pathogenesis, and how these populations are perturbed in the setting of pegylated-interferon (pegIFN) therapy.1
The advent of pegylated forms of interferon (IFN) has provided renewed interest for use of this agent in the clinical setting. Recent studies demonstrate response rates on par with those of traditional cytoreductive therapy,2,3 and lower rates of discontinuation have been observed as a result of an improved toxicity profile in comparison with their nonpegylated counterparts. Importantly, unlike other currently available MPN therapies (including JAK inhibitors),4 IFN remains the only treatment in MPNs shown to reduce mutant clonal fraction and, in a minority of patients, induce molecular remissions,5 suggesting that pegIFN can selectively impair clonal outgrowth at the level of the mutant MPN stem cell. »
As always thank you for keeping us updated on Interferon research. Does pegalated interferon include Pegasys? Or is the new one that has not yet been approved?
Yes Pegasys is indeed a pegylated interferon. The new one (Besremi) is a ropeginterferon. Pegasys is a kind of 2.0 interferon and Besremi a 2.1 version.
Hello Manouche . I was very interested to see your post. I am apprehensive at the moment, as I have to inject myself with 90 mgms of Peginterferon tomorrow. I am allergic to Hydroxycarbamide and have been existing on Aspirin only for several years now. But, sadly, the platelets have caught up with me (I have PV) and am giving Peg Interferon alfa a try. The haemo nurse gave me my 1st jab a week ago and I now have to inject myself tomorrow.
Could anyone tell me at what time of the day they do the injection. i thought in the evening so as to sleep off any side effects. I've had none from my first jab, but it's very early days.
Many people on this site have had this experience and I'm sure I'll be fine after my first try. I hope that I can tolerate the drug because I know that it has some good results.
Any encouragement from the lovely people on this site would be welcome.
I had my first 90mcg injection in the evening like most of us. I didn’t have any side effect, so the second time I decided to have it in the morning with no paracetamol. I feel so energetic a couple of hours after the injection that I felt it would be a waste to sleep through it! I now have a weekly 135mcg injection for about a year and I wish I could have it everyday :)… A true doping agent!
Thank you Manouche for that lovely news. For my first jaab tomorrow, I'll try the early evening and see what happens. I hope I have as good an experience as you. Thanks again for your reply.Sandra.
I’m on week 8 of Pegasys and have been taking a couple of paracetamol and injecting just before bed to sleep through side effects. First 4 weeks I’d woken up during the night and had muscle cramps in my legs & feet, night sweats and nausea. Uncomfortable and made for a rubbish night’s sleep but nothing unbearable.
Those immediate symptoms really eased off for weeks 5-8. Planning to inject earlier in the day this week to see how it feels. Based on what Manouche has said about getting an energy boost from it I figure it’s worth the experiment!
I felt apprehensive starting too, it’s surprising how quickly you’ll get used to it. Normal for your brain to resist ‘injuring’ yourself and create a feeling of stress around the injection.
It sounds a bit nuts (probably completely nuts!) but to counter that feeling I literally talk to the interferon as I’m injecting 🤣🤣🤣 “I’m excited to have you in my body healing me, you’re amazing, I’m so lucky to have access to this miracle drug” etc etc. Don’t know if it’ll work for you but it certainly reduced my stress levels and gives my partner a good laugh if nothing else!
Hi Sarah. Thank you so much for that reply. I've obviously got some "getting used to" to look forward to, but if it keeps all my numbers down, it will be well worth it. Many thanks again. All being well, I'll post an update in a few weeks. Thank you again. Sandra
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