An antifibrotic therapy capable of normalizing the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment remains a significant gap in the current treatment landscape of myelofibrosis. Vacchani and colleagues present results of the PXS5505-MF-101 trial, a multicenter phase I/IIa study of PXS-5505, a novel pan-lysyl oxidase inhibitor, in myelofibrosis patients. Safety and tolerability data of PXS-5505 and preliminary indications of clinical efficacy, including a reduction in BM collagen, support continued investigation of PXS-5505.

In vitro production of platelets could offer a viable alternative to donor-dependent products for transfusion. Foster and colleagues analyzed the proteomic profiles of several cell types that promote platelet production by cultured megakaryocytes in vitro to recreate the chemical and physical bone marrow niche and thereby enhance platelet production. They identified novel proteins whose role in platelet formation was previously unknown and highlighted the potential gain of recreating the megakaryocyte niche to allow in vitro platelets to become a viable alternative for transfusion.