Imatinib is effective in some PDGFRA/B-negative hypereosinophilic syndromes: A step closer to unveiling underlying

Giuseppe G Loscocco1, Grzegorz Helbig2

  • 1Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, CRIMM, Center of Research and Innovation of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

PubMed

Hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES) comprise different clonal, reactive, or idiopathic disorders characterized by elevated eosinophil levels and subsequent organ damage. Kim et al. in a multicentre, single-arm, prospective phase II study, treated 32 patients with PDGFRA/B-negative HES with imatinib at the dose of 100-400 mg daily. Respective overall and complete haematological response rates were 46.9% and 18.8%, and the median time to response was 1.5 months. The molecular basis of responses was identified by using whole-exome and whole-transcriptome sequencing in 11 patients. STAT5B::RARA, PAK2::PIGX, and FIP1L1::CHIC2 fusions were identified in responders, whereas RNF130::BRAF and WNK1::KDM5A were identified in non-responders. Imatinib could be a therapeutic option for some, possibly clonal, PDGFRA/B-negative HES. Commentary on: Kim et al. Phase II trial of imatinib mesylate in patients with PDGFRA/B-negative hypereosinophilic syndrome. Br J Haematol 2024; 205:2305-2314.

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