Polycythaemia vera: Will New Markers Help Us Answer Old Questions?

The publication of the first molecular markers for polycythaemia vera (PV) has led to a renewed interest in finding the mutations leading to the development of this myeloproliferative disorder. A substantial amount of cell biological data on the PV stem cell, however, have been available for over two decades. This review will summarise, combine and integrate both fields of investigation. Based on this analysis, two alternative models for the development of myeloproliferative disorders are proposed.