Blood Podcast

First on today’s podcast, we’ll review results of a randomized phase 2 study demonstrating that inhibition of ROCK2 with belumosudil is well tolerated and effective in patients with steroid-refractory graft-versus-host disease. Next, we’ll review the work of researchers who have uncovered new insights into the immunopathogenesis of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia. And we’ll close with a report of a prospective longitudinal analysis that elucidates the dynamics of mutated hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells during therapy with interferon-alpha in patients with BCR-ABL1 negative myeloproliferative neoplasms.

All four studies included in this podcast present preliminary data with modest numbers of patients, and therefore, the findings should be interpreted with these limitations. Likewise, the impact of specific strains and waning antibody levels after COVID-19 vaccination will require further follow-up, since the Delta variant was not the dominant strain in circulation at the time of this research. The first two studies assess the immune responses to vaccination in two specific high-risk populations, namely, patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The last two studies, one from a large European consortium and the other based on nationwide data from Israel, report on the incidence, risk factors and short-term outcomes of COVID-19 breakthrough infection in vaccinated patients with hematologic malignancies.

In this week’s episode, we’ll learn more about the efficacy of asciminib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who are resistant or intolerant to two or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors, discuss the role of dopamine signaling in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell function, and learn more about elevated plasma concentration of complement factor C5 as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism.

In this week’s episode, we’ll review results of a phase 2 study showing the beneficial effects of a first-in-class factor D inhibitor as add-on therapy in PNH patients who remain anemic and are transfusion-dependent despite C5 inhibition. Next, we’ll review the work of researchers who have developed a neural network that they say is highly accurate in differentiating between bone marrow cell morphologies. We’ll close with a report demonstrating that RNA editing of antizyme inhibitor 1, or Azin1, is a novel regulator of hematopoietic cell fate that can influence self-renewal and differentiation.

In this week’s episode, we’ll learn more about the application of machine learning in molecular subclassification and prognostication of acute myeloid leukemia or AML, discuss the role of aging bone marrow in leukemia progression, and learn more about the challenges in treating bleeding disorders of unknown cause.

In this week’s episode, we’ll review a research article showing beneficial effects of prenatal immunotherapy in a mouse model of anti-CD36-mediated fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. Next, we’ll look at results of a simulation analysis suggesting that gene therapy for hemophilia B is more cost-effective than on-demand or prophylactic factor treatment. We’ll conclude with a report which provides important new insights into regulation of terminal erythroid maturation at the transcriptional level that may help improve our understanding of normal and abnormal erythropoiesis.

In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss an analysis of genetic risks for CMV infection after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant, learn more about a new multiplex gene editing approach to reactivate fetal hemoglobin in thalassemia, and discuss transcriptional rewiring of normal plasma cell development in light-chain amyloidosis and myeloma.

In this week’s episode, we’ll review results of a phase 3 randomized study demonstrating shorter time to neutrophil and platelet recovery with an ex vivo expanded hematopoietic progenitor cell product called omidubicel as compared to standard umbilical cord transplantation. Next, we’ll look at preliminary data on the development of lymphomas originating from piggyBac-modified CD19 CAR T-cells, sounding a note of caution for researchers exploring new gene modification methodologies for CAR T-cell production. We’ll conclude with a report suggesting that the vesicular protein CD63 may orchestrate the transfer of iron-rich ferritin among cells.

In this week’s episode, we will review a study that prospectively followed tuberculosis patients after treatment initiation to evaluate iron handling during the resolution of inflammatory anemia. We will also examine clinical benefit and long-term safety of gamma-retroviral gene therapy in patients with adenosine deaminase deficient severe combined immunodeficiency.

In this week’s episode, we’ll review a study providing new insights on megakaryocyte diversity and function, including a unique subpopulation that may act as immune cells. Next, we’ll review research that intriguingly reveals a putative role for the PD1 gene in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Lastly, we’ll conclude with a report demonstrating a lack of cross-reaction between the antibodies that cause vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis, and the COVID-19 spike protein.