Welcome to the current issue of Therapeutic Advances in Hematology! Drs. Kucine and Levine from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NY lead off this issue, providing a comprehensive review and perspective on myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and the recently identified therapeutic target, the Janus kinase (JAK) and JAK2 inhibitors. They summarize the clinical results and frame the tasks ahead, posing questions regarding depth of response and quantifying target inhibition. Drs. Kahn and Cohen from the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadalphia then dissect the robust field of new therapies for multiple myeloma with thorough review of the proteosome inhibitors, immune modulatory agents, histone deacetylase inhibitors, Phospho-inositol-3 kinase/Akt/mTOR inhibitors, heat shock protein inhibitors, antibodies targeting the myeloma cell and marrow microenvironment, and novel cyclin-dependent and aurora kinase and kinesin spindle protein inhibitors. They also raise the potential role of ‘myeloma stem cell’ directed therapy with hedgehog pathway inhibitors or even rituximab.
Changing gear from disease therapy to therapy complication, Dr. Bhatt of Staten Island University Hospital with colleagues Drs. Viola and Ferrajoli from the MD Anderson Cancer Center review invasive fungal infections in acute leukemia, describing the pathogens, diagnostics including serologic biomarkers, and management including recent advances. They cover as well the concepts of predicting presumed infection and risk stratification and how these are increasingly incorporated into early treatment and better prevention of this frequent and threatening complication.
The last two articles this month delve into the details of two of the lymphoid malignancies, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and Wandenstrom macroglobulinemia. Drs. Schnaiter and Stilgenbauer from Ulm University in Germany take us through the dilemma of refractory CLL and extensively review the therapy options including the multiple antibody agents and numerous small molecules in various stages of development. Our issue closes with a very interesting work from Dr. Ghobrial and colleagues from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, describing the crucial relationship of the bone marrow stroma/microenvironment and the pathogenesis of lower grade lymphoid neoplasms such as Waldenstrom's—a permissive or facilitating role that also may be ripe for targeting with our arsenal of increasingly specific therapeutics.
Once again we highlight the growing field of targeted therapy and aim to shed further light with current and thoughtful reviews in a number of areas. We are glad to report the increasing access and readership for Therapeutic Advances in Hematology and encourage submission of primary research as well as other novel work and ideas for areas to review. Enjoy!