Moreover, the combination of BMN673, ruxolitinib, and hydroxyurea was highly effective in vivo against JAK2(V617F)<sup>+</sup> murine MPN-like disease and also against JAK2(V617F)<sup>+</sup>, CALR(del52)<sup>+</sup>, and MPL(W515L)<sup>+</sup> primary MPN xenografts.
Collectively, our studies demonstrate that occasional patients with CALR mutation-positive ET or MF carry other MPN-initiating genetic mutations (including JAK2 V617F), acquire "secondary mutations" before or after the CALR mutation, or evolve over time to being CALR mutation-homozygous.
Considering these results, we propose that mutant CALR promotes myeloproliferative neoplasm development by activating c-MPL and its downstream pathway.
We initially focused on identifying HLA class I neoepitopes derived from calreticulin (CALR) exon 9 mutations, found in ~ 80% of JAK2wt myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).
CALR mutations were present in 44% of ET (15/34), 14% of persistent thrombocytosis suggestive of MPN (3/21) and none of the secondary thrombocytosis (0/98).
Calreticulin mutation represents the second most frequent mutation after JAK2 V617F in myeloproliferative disorder and is considered to be a driving mutation.
Recent advances in the biology of MPNs have greatly facilitated their molecular diagnosis since most patients present with mutation(s) in the JAK2, MPL, or CALR genes.
Genotyping for CALR mutations represents a novel useful tool for establishing a clonal myeloproliferative disorder in JAK2 and MPL wt patients with thrombocytosis and may have prognostic and therapeutic relevance.
Discovery of somatic mutations in the calreticulin gene (CALR) has identified a subgroup of Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) with separate haematological characteristics and prognosis.
Four main molecular types of clonal MPN can be distinguished: JAK2(V617F)-positive ET and PV; JAK2 wild-type ET carrying the MPL(515); mutations in the calreticulin (CALR) gene in JAK2/MPL wild-type ET and MF, and a small proportion of JAK2/MPL/CALR wild-type ET and MF patients.
Mutations in either the januskinase-2 (JAK-2) or the calreticulin (CALR) gene are characteristic for MPN and may result in enhanced proliferation of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, and thus increase the risk for vascular events.
Surprisingly, JAK2 46/1 haplotype was associated significantly not only with JAK2 V617F-mutated MPN, but also with CALR-mutated MPN (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1-1.8; P-value = .01).
Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF) is a myeloproliferative disorder associated with JAK2V617F, Calreticulin (CALR) indels, and MPLW515L/K mutations activating the tyrosine kinase JAK2 and its downstream signaling pathway.