Splenic extramedullary hematopoiesis in myelofibrosis is shaped by transcriptomic and epigenetic dysregulation.

Abstract

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a chronic, progressive myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by bone marrow fibrosis, ineffective blood cell production, and neoplastic extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) occurring primarily within the spleen. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying splenic EMH, we performed single-cell transcriptional and chromatin profiling of cells from MF spleens that had been surgically removed. We demonstrate significant expansion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, coupled with aberrant differentiation toward the erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages, associated with a significant enrichment of inflammatory pathways with enhanced NF-κB signaling and IFN responses, as well as dysregulation of the inferred function of differentiation-defining transcription factors. Finally, we report a significant remodeling of the immune microenvironment in MF spleens, characterized by emergence of dysfunctional T cell subsets and inflammatory memory B cells, suggesting the concomitant establishment of a pro-inflammatory and immune-tolerant tumor microenvironment within the spleen that influences hematopoietic cell differentiation and impairs tumor immune surveillance.