Latest Research for  Polycythemia Vera and MPNs: Highlights from the 2025 ASH Annual Meeting

The 2025 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting provided new insights into how polycythemia vera (PV) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) can be more effectively monitored, treated, and managed. 

In this article, you will find interesting results that highlight real-world patterns, innovative monitoring strategies, and early-stage targeted therapies.

Bone marrow fat as a marker of molecular response to interferon

In this study, researchers evaluated whether bone marrow adipocytes (fat cells) could serve as a marker of treatment response in people with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and PV receiving pegylated interferon alfa-2a.

Interferon therapy is known to reduce abnormal blood counts and lower the JAK2V617F mutation burden in some patients. This study explored whether changes inside the bone marrow environment could reflect deeper molecular responses.

Key findings:

• Over half of the participants achieved a complete response.
• Increases in bone marrow fat content and improved fat distribution were strongly associated with molecular response.
• Patients with molecular responses also showed more normalized marrow structure.

These findings suggest bone marrow fat patterns may become a future biomarker to help track treatment effectiveness in PV and ET. But further research is needed.

Skin cancer monitoring needs in PV trials

Another ASH presentation focused on skin cancer screening in patients with PV enrolled in the phase 3 VERIFY trial of rusfertide, a therapy designed to reduce the need for frequent phlebotomies.

People with PV have an increased risk of developing skin cancers, particularly after prior cytoreductive therapies (treatments that reduce the blood cell counts).

In this study:

• Nearly 300 patients underwent mandatory skin exams before treatment.
• Over 13% had a prior history of skin cancer.
• New skin cancers were detected during screening, before exposure to the study medication.
• Early identification allowed people to receive prompt treatment.

The study highlights the importance of routine dermatologic screening in PV, especially as new long-term therapies are introduced.

Real-world care gaps in polycythemia vera management

A real-world outcomes study compared PV care delivered at academic cancer centers versus community-based clinics within the same network.

Although overall survival was similar, important differences emerged:

• Community-treated patients were older and more likely to have high-risk disease.
• Delays in diagnosis were more common outside academic centers.
• Patients in community settings had higher rates of blood clots, also called thromboembolic events.
• Use of advanced therapies beyond hydroxyurea was lower in community practices.

These findings emphasize the need for stronger collaboration between community providers and MPN specialists to ensure consistent, high-quality care.

An unexpected potential therapy: targeting JAK2 with an antibiotic

In a preclinical study, researchers discovered that linezolid, an FDA-approved antibiotic, selectively targets cells carrying the JAK2V617F mutation, the main driver of PV.

In laboratory and animal models:

• Linezolid normalized blood counts and spleen size.
• It reduced JAK2-mutant stem cells while sparing healthy cells.
• The drug showed greater specificity than current JAK inhibitors.

Although this research is still in its early stages and has not yet been tested in clinical trials for PV, it opens up the possibility of more mutation-specific treatments that may one day offer safer and more precise options.

Main takeaways from the new research presented

Together, these ASH studies show progress on multiple fronts: understanding how treatments work at a deeper biologic level, improving patient safety, identifying care gaps, and exploring new targeted approaches.

For people with PV or other MPNs, these findings reinforce the importance of:

• Monitoring blood counts and overall health. Track your health with HealthTree Cure Hub. 
• Preventive care, including skin exams. 
• Access to specialized expertise when possible. Find a specialist here. 
• Continued participation in research shaping future therapies. Participate in research. 

Learning about these advances empowers patients to ask informed questions and stay engaged in their care. With HealthTree you can stay on top of every step recommended. 

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Sources:

• Bone marrow adipocytes (BMA) as a novel biomarker of molecular response in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV) treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2A
• Should dermatologic examinations become routine standard of care in patients with polycythemia vera? Observations from the phase 3 VERIFY study prior to rusfertide exposure
• Evaluating real-world diagnostic and treatment patterns, risk of thromboembolic events, and mortality for polycythemia vera across an integrated academic-community cancer network
• The antibiotic linezolid targets the Jak2V617F mutation in polycythemia vera.