Type-I Interferons – a double-edged sword in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and Chronic Viral Infections
Type-I Interferons (IFNs) are a very efficient treatment of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs) and can even induce long-term remissions. However, the mechanisms of type I IFN on hematopoiesis in MPNs are only poorly understood. Given the pleiotropic effects of type I IFNs we hypothesize that type I IFN driven activation of immune and stromal cells also contribute to therapeutic effects. Using two different mouse models for MPNs we will investigate the immunological mechanisms by which type I IFNs attack normal and malignant hematopoietic stem cells. We will correlate our findings with clinical samples from MPN patients. As altered hematopoiesis also occurs in many chronic viral infections as a potential mechanism of immune evasion we aim to clarify how type I IFNs affect hematopoiesis in MPNs and chronic viral infections in parallel.
Dr. Sabine Muth & Prof. Dr. Markus Radsak
(Photos: Universitätsmedizin Mainz)