Immunotherapy, early research for Jak2

[EPguy]

We care about immune therapy because it's potentially curative by teaching our immune system to attack the mutation sort of like it were a virus infected cell.

We've discussed immunotherapy promise for CALR. CALR is the 1st candidate because it has external features that help identify it for targeting. Jak2 has usually been considered more difficult to target because it does not have such obvious features, so we don't hear about immune therapy for Jak2.

I found this very early study that gives us Jak2s something to think about. It took a lot of looking to find this link.

It seems they discovered a potential feature to target: "...to recognize a small protein from a mutation of the JAK2 gene...The researchers plan to test TCRs that recognize the mutation"

--

Drs. Matyas Ecsedi and Megan McAfee are developing a potentially curative immunotherapy for myeloproliferative neoplasms. These are particularly difficult-to-treat blood cancers that mostly affect older patients. The team has been genetically engineering disease-recognizing molecules on immune cells — T-cell receptors, or TCRs — to recognize a small protein from a mutation of the JAK2 gene. This flaw is found on the malignant cells of most patients with this disease. Transplantation of blood-forming stem cells is the only potentially curative therapy available for people with these cancers, but most older patients are ineligible due to concerns about the toxicity of the procedure. The researchers plan to test TCRs that recognize the mutation and evaluate these receptors for safety and effectiveness so they later can be considered for further preclinical and clinical studies.

fredhutch.org/en/news/cente...

[Hello94]

thank you for posting this!

[mhos61]

As someone with the Jak2 mutation, I would like to thank you for highlighting this. It’s a shame you have to dig deep to find such encouraging news. I applaud you!

[EPguy in reply to mhos61]

It was from a brief item from MPN Research Foundation, but they only hinted at it so I had to look other ways.

This research group seems to be tops in immune therapies.

I think it's low profile now since it's very pre clinical. If they start fixing mice we'll hear a lot about it.

[flamboyant_hawking in reply to EPguy]

EPguy do you follow CRISPR development? I read this yesterday and thought it might be promising:

wired.com/story/theres-new-...

[EPguy in reply to flamboyant_hawking]

CRISPR (usually with Cas9) is a most promising fast developing way to carry out these gene therapies. From what I've read it's not the only way but may be the most versatile for many cancers.

The link you have is exciting. it addresses: "Most diseases occur in cells and tissues that can’t be easily taken out of the body, treated, and put back in." It so happens our bad cells can be taken out as with sickle cell they are working on, so we're ahead already there.

I think CALR is a next in line for this ex-vivo procedure. But all these require ability to find the mutated cells. What's possibly new in this top post is a way to do that with Jak2 that precluded gene therapy before.

[Pat032018]

Thank you for this article and good news!

[jmctrek]

Thank you for sharing this article EPguy! I hope and pray they will be successful in isolating and targeting the protein associated with the jak2 mutation. Following this research project will help me stay positive and optimistic when my ET symptoms get the best of me. Thank you!

[ritaandscooter1]

Hi, I read about this research earlier and the researchers by accident found this worked on the CALR mutation.....They tested it several times on mice and every time it worked! It is very very promising and now they are trying to apply their findings to JAK2 pathway. Immunotherapy has worked great on so many other cancers. It's great news.

[EPguy in reply to ritaandscooter1]

I've seen the same re CALR. It is now an official candidate for gene therapy research. As noted the problem was Jak2 presents a more complex target, they may now have a way to overcome that and allow Jak2 to also become such a candidiate.

[Bluetop]

Thanks for this. i wonder where his research is leading now. He is probably chasing further funding.

[EPguy in reply to Bluetop]

I think they are good for the current lab tests they are doing. It seems they need to get it further along before the next more expensive phase.

[Island-Lady]

thank you so very much for sending this hopeful information. I really do believe that we can be cured and it’s just a matter of time until they find the right things for us.