# The Intricate Dance Between Inflammation and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: From Origins to Outcomes

**Authors:** Angela G Fleischman

PMC · DOI: 10.1007/s11899-026-00774-5 · 2026-03-06

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how inflammation contributes to myeloproliferative neoplasms and how therapies targeting inflammation can improve outcomes.

## Contribution

The paper reframes MPNs as a disorder of immune and stromal interactions, emphasizing inflammation as both a driver and a therapeutic target.

## Key findings

- Chronic inflammatory stress promotes the expansion of MPN-associated clones like JAK2.
- Inflammatory cytokines sustain myeloproliferation and contribute to bone marrow fibrosis.
- JAK inhibitors and newer agents reduce inflammation, offering therapeutic benefits.

## Abstract

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) lie at the intersection of malignancy and chronic inflammatory disease. This review summarizes current understanding of how inflammation drives MPN pathogenesis, from clonal initiation to progression and symptom burden, and explores how emerging therapies modulate the inflammatory microenvironment.

Evidence from human genetics, epidemiology, and experimental models shows that chronic inflammatory stress promotes the expansion of JAK2- and other MPN-associated clones. Inflammatory cytokine networks sustain myeloproliferation, reshape the bone marrow niche, and contribute to fibrosis. JAK inhibitors remain the cornerstone of therapy and exert much of their clinical benefit through suppression of cytokine signaling. Newer agents also mitigate inflammation through complementary mechanisms.

Inflammation is inseparable from MPN biology and represents both a driver and a therapeutic target. Reframing MPN as a disorder of maladaptive immune and stromal interactions highlights opportunities to restore balance within this ecosystem and potentially alter disease course.

## Linked entities

- **Genes:** JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 3717]
- **Diseases:** myeloproliferative neoplasms (MONDO:0020076)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** IL1B (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 3553] {aka IL-1, IL1-BETA, IL1F2, IL1beta}, Ptprj (protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type J) [NCBI Gene 19271] {aka BET, Byp, CD148, DEP-1, PTPbeta2, Ptpb2}, TNF (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 7124] {aka DIF, IMD127, TNF-alpha, TNFA, TNFSF2, TNLG1F}, S100A8 (S100 calcium binding protein A8) [NCBI Gene 6279] {aka 60B8AG, CAGA, CFAG, CGLA, CP-10, L1Ag}, TET2 (tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2) [NCBI Gene 54790] {aka IMD75, KIAA1546, MDS}, PF4 (platelet factor 4) [NCBI Gene 5196] {aka CXCL4, PF-4, SCYB4}, Irak1 (interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 16179] {aka IRAK, IRAK-1, IRAK1-S, IRAK1b, Il1rak, Plpk}, TLR4 (toll like receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 7099] {aka ARMD10, CD284, TLR-4, TOLL}, Nfkb1 (nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells 1, p105) [NCBI Gene 18033] {aka NF-KB1, NF-kappaB, NF-kappaB1, p105, p50, p50/p105}, DNMT3A (DNA methyltransferase 3 alpha) [NCBI Gene 1788] {aka DNMT3A2, HESJAS, M.HsaIIIA, TBRS}, IL6R (interleukin 6 receptor) [NCBI Gene 3570] {aka CD126, HIES5, IL-1Ra, IL-6R, IL-6R-1, IL-6RA}, S100A9 (S100 calcium binding protein A9) [NCBI Gene 6280] {aka 60B8AG, CAGB, CFAG, CGLB, L1AG, LIAG}, IL10RA (interleukin 10 receptor subunit alpha) [NCBI Gene 3587] {aka CD210, CD210a, CDW210A, HIL-10R, IL-10R1, IL10R}, Mir146 (microRNA 146) [NCBI Gene 387164] {aka Mirn146, miR-146a, mmu-mir-146}, CXCL8 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8) [NCBI Gene 3576] {aka GCP-1, GCP1, IL8, LECT, LUCT, LYNAP}, TGFB1 (transforming growth factor beta 1) [NCBI Gene 7040] {aka CAEND1, CED, DPD1, IBDIMDE, LAP, TGF-beta1}, IL1RN (interleukin 1 receptor antagonist) [NCBI Gene 3557] {aka CRMO2, DIRA, ICIL-1RA, IL-1RN, IL-1ra, IL-1ra3}, Cxcl1 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1) [NCBI Gene 14825] {aka Fsp, Gro1, KC, Mgsa, N51, Scyb1}, JAK1 (Janus kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 3716] {aka AIIDE, JAK1A, JAK1B, JTK3}, S100A1 (S100 calcium binding protein A1) [NCBI Gene 6271] {aka S100, S100-alpha, S100A}, ACVR1 (activin A receptor type 1) [NCBI Gene 90] {aka ACTRI, ACVR1A, ACVRLK2, ALK2, FOP, SKR1}, MOK (MOK protein kinase) [NCBI Gene 5891] {aka RAGE, RAGE-1, RAGE1, STK30}, TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) [NCBI Gene 7015] {aka CMM9, DKCA2, DKCB4, EST2, PFBMFT1, TCS1}, IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, SH2B3 (SH2B adaptor protein 3) [NCBI Gene 10019] {aka IDDM20, LNK}, Tnf (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 21926] {aka DIF, TNF-a, TNF-alpha, TNFSF2, TNFalpha, Tnfa}, Jak2 (Janus kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 16452] {aka Fd17}, HAMP (hepcidin antimicrobial peptide) [NCBI Gene 57817] {aka HEPC, HFE2B, LEAP1, PLTR}, JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 3717] {aka JTK10}, Brd4 (bromodomain containing 4) [NCBI Gene 57261] {aka Brd5, HUNK1, MCAP, WI-11513}
- **Diseases:** MPN (MESH:D009369), polycythemia vera (MESH:D011087), osteosclerosis (MESH:D010026), Fibrosis (MESH:D005355), CHIP (MESH:C536227), Inflammation (MESH:D007249), headaches (MESH:D006261), iron (MESH:D000090463), pruritus (MESH:D011537), hematologic malignancies (MESH:D019337), MDS (MESH:D009190), erythromelalgia (MESH:D004916), metabolic (MESH:D008659), autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases (MESH:D056660), AML (MESH:D015470), Myelofibrosis (MESH:D055728), fatigue (MESH:D005221), splenomegaly (MESH:D013163), Obesity (MESH:D009765), autoimmune disease (MESH:D001327), cardiovascular disease (MESH:D002318), infections (MESH:D007239), leukemic (MESH:D007938), cytopenias (MESH:D006402), thrombotic (MESH:D013927), Symptom (MESH:D012816), MPN disease (MESH:D009196), anemia (MESH:D000740), chronic inflammatory disease (MESH:D002908), essential thrombocythemia (MESH:D013920), lymphomas (MESH:D008223), cellulitis (MESH:D002481)
- **Chemicals:** pelabresib (MESH:C000623150), Pacritinib (MESH:C561234), Ruxolitinib (MESH:C540383), itacitinib (MESH:C000718170), iron (MESH:D007501), Aspirin (MESH:D001241), momelotinib (MESH:C546012), Fedratinib (MESH:C528327), tasquinimod (MESH:C516109)
- **Species:** Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]
- **Mutations:** JAK2 V617F

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12965915