Myelofibrosis is a rare and dangerous blood cancer, and Australian researchers claim to have discovered a new, highly targeted method of treating it, boosting expectations for more potent therapies that go beyond symptom management. Researchers from the University of Adelaide, SA Pathology, and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute have developed an immunotherapy-based strategy that targets the aberrant blood cells causing the illness specifically.
The results were released on Monday, January 12, 2026, in the prestigious international journal Blood.
Instead of depending on treatments that mainly address symptoms like fatigue, discomfort, an enlarged spleen, and a lower quality of life, the research focuses on treating myelofibrosis by specifically eliminating the disease-causing cells.
There are currently no therapies that can eliminate the aberrant cells causing the illness; however, they can alleviate symptoms. The work was described in a statement headlined "New targeted treatment offers hope for people with myelofibrosis" that was posted on the SAHMRI website on Monday.
Dr. Denis Tvorogov of the University of Adelaide and Cancer Council SA research fellow Dr. Chloe Thompson-Peach made important contributions to the study, which was co-led by Professor Daniel Thomas, director of SAHMRI's Blood Cancer program, and Professor Angel Lopez, Head of Human Immunology at SA Pathology.
According to Professor Thomas, the study was a breakthrough and the first in the world to demonstrate how Type 1 and Type 2 calreticulin mutations respond differently to treatment.
Therapies for myelofibrosis frequently help manage symptoms, but they don't specifically target the aberrant cells causing the illness.
According to our research, it might be able to create more targeted and effective medicines by concentrating on what makes these cells unique. According to Prof. Thomas, "this is part of a major paradigm shift in the treatment of myelofibrosis and related diseases."
Two different targets that best eliminate the offending cells were found by the research team. The utilization of patient cells donated for study and stored at the South Australian Cancer Study Biobank, which is funded by the Health Services Charitable Gifts Board, was a critical component of the discovery.
The study emphasizes the potential of precision immunology, a strategy that uses the immune system to identify and combat disease-causing cells while mainly sparing healthy tissue. The results imply that distinct targeted approaches may be advantageous for various biological types of myelofibrosis.
According to Professor Lopez, the study is part of a larger movement in cancer research toward more individualized and targeted treatments.
This study demonstrates the effectiveness of precision immunology, a therapy approach that identifies disease-causing cells with remarkable selectivity while protecting healthy tissue.
According to Prof. Lopez, "the future of cancer treatment lies in understanding disease at a molecular and immune level and then translating that knowledge into therapies that are potent, long-lasting, and precise."
Although the results are encouraging, the researchers warned that before the strategy can be tested on patients, more investigation and clinical development are needed.
In order to translate the findings into safer, more effective treatment alternatives for individuals with myelofibrosis, cancer experts will now work through the essential processes to identify how the treatment may be safely advanced toward clinical trials.
The rare blood cancer known as myelofibrosis (MF) is characterized by the accumulation of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the bone marrow, which interferes with the production of healthy blood cells and causes anemia, infections, bleeding problems, fatigue, and weight loss.
Treatment for MF focuses on controlling symptoms, increasing blood counts, and, in extreme cases, stem cell transplantation.
