Current MPN treatments are geared towards symptom palliation and not on changing the natural course of the disease. Mutations in calreticulin gene (CALR) is the second most common driver mutation in ET and MF patients (30%). All CALR mutations identified to date in MPN patients result in the formation of an altered protein with an identical 36-amino acid sequence in the C-terminus. This altered protein results in a MPN-specific shared neo-antigen. The mutated CALR neoantigen present in patient with MPN represents an ideal antigen for targeted immunotherapy as it is stably and specifically expressed by the malignant cells and is absent in the normal tissues. CALR neoantigen is immunogenic, effector T cells are capable of recognizing this neo-antigen, and hematopoietic cells carrying the mutation can be potently killed by these specific effector T-cells in vitro.~The researchers believe that a mutated-CALR vaccine will enhance mutated-CALR-specific T cell immunity in MPN patients carrying CALR mutations, which in turn would target and eliminate CALR+ malignant cells, thereby leading to improved clinical outcomes in this patient population.
The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of administrating mutated-CALR peptide Vaccine to patients with MPN. The researchers plan to enroll 10 patients over a 12 month period. Maximum length of participation in 80 weeks. Patients will be asked to complete questionnaires, bone marrow biopsies, research lab collection, and standard of care lab draw. This research will be taking place only at The Mount Sinai Hospital, specifically at the Ruttenberg Treatment Center.