Understanding inherited risks for blood cancers called myeloproliferative neoplasms
Official title: Selective pressures from inherited variation impacting myeloproliferative neoplasm initiation
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11114017 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores how inherited genetic differences can make some people more likely to develop certain blood cancers, called myeloproliferative neoplasms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $507,999 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA265726-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11114017 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but focuses on understanding the genetic basis of myeloproliferative neoplasms, which could eventually benefit individuals with a family history of these conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients currently undergoing treatment for MPNs may not directly benefit from this early-stage research, which focuses on disease initiation rather than existing disease management.
What this research studies
We know that specific changes in our genes can lead to myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), but we also see that these conditions often run in families. This project aims to uncover how inherited genetic variations create conditions that encourage MPNs to start. We will use advanced laboratory models, including mouse models, to see how certain genetic changes affect blood stem cells. We also plan to work with human blood stem cells to understand how inherited gene mutations contribute to the development of these cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us better understand who is at risk for MPNs and potentially lead to new ways to prevent or treat these blood cancers early.
How similar studies have gone: While previous studies have identified some inherited risk factors for MPNs, this project aims to provide a deeper mechanistic understanding of how these factors contribute to disease development.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sankaran, Vijay Ganesh — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Sankaran, Vijay Ganesh
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Complement and clotting in JAK2V617F myeloproliferative neoplasms
A short, patient-friendly study will look at how a specific mutation in blood cells may trigger the body’s complement system to cause clots in people with myeloproliferative neoplasms.
-
Endothelial contribution to blood-clotting in myeloproliferative neoplasms
This project explores how the lining of blood vessels may drive dangerous clots in people with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).
-
Hypoxia-inducible factors and neutrophil diversity in blood clotting in myeloproliferative neoplasms
A physician-scientist is training over five years to uncover how low-oxygen signals and diverse neutrophils drive dangerous clots in people with myeloproliferative neoplasms, with the goal of finding new treatment targets.
-
Inherited genetic risks shaping myeloid cancer initiation
A research project at Boston Children’s Hospital is exploring how inherited genetic differences may push blood stem cells toward the start of myeloproliferative neoplasms, with potential implications for earlier detection and prevention.
-
Understanding why some myeloproliferative neoplasm patients resist interferon therapy
Researchers are studying why interferon-alpha works for some blood cancer patients but not others, by looking closely at stem cells from CALR-mutated myeloproliferative neoplasms.
-
Genetic and epigenetic factors shaping response in advanced myeloproliferative neoplasms
This grant looks at how genetic and epigenetic differences influence how patients with advanced myeloproliferative neoplasms respond to therapies.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.