Making Great Strides

In Treating Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

The Princess Margaret has made great strides in treating patients like Michael Brady with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), a group of chronic leukemias affecting the blood. But it wasn't too long ago that this was a largely neglected form of cancer in Canada.

The reason for this, says Dr. Vikas Gupta, Hematologist at The Princess Margaret, who specializes in this area, was limited expertise in the area and the lack of a programmatic approach.

Recognizing this unmet clinical need, the team at The Princess Margaret got to work.

Generous funding from the Elizabeth and Tony Comper Foundation allowed for the creation of an integrated program where clinical care is provided, along with basic and translational research.

“I'm very proud to say we have become a national resource for treatment of these disorders and the program is gaining an international reputation,” says Dr. Gupta.

A trial is currently underway using MDM inhibitors, a drug that specifically targets disease stem cells and spares normal cells. It is now being expanded into a larger trial.

“If the findings of the small trial are reproduced in this current multi-centre trial, then I think it will change the way we think about the treatment of this cancer and, in my opinion, it may be a game changer.”

Read more about Dr. Gupta's patient, Michael Brady