Type-I Interferons – a double-edged sword in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and Chronic Viral Infections (21*)

• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 318346496

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.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1292: Targeting convergent mechanisms of inefficient immunity in tumors and chronic infections
• Applicant Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Project Heads: Dr. Sabine Muth; Professor Dr. Markus P. Radsak