Blood Podcast

Today’s episode is a special edition that focuses exclusively on vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, or VITT, a rare but potentially fatal syndrome associated with adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccines. The VITT syndrome is characterized by thrombocytopenia and thrombosis in association with platelet-activating anti-platelet factor 4 antibodies. First, we’ll review an insightful Spotlight article on what is known about VITT to date. Then we’ll discuss two new brief reports in Blood that provide additional insights on VITT clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and disease management.

In this week’s episode, we will learn more about the use of high-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide in matched unrelated donors versus HLA haploidentical grafts, review prognostic factors and outcomes from the largest cohort of patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma reported to date, and look at a study that suggests that high molecular weight kininogen contributes to acetaminophen-induced liver injury.

In this week's episode, our studies include an analysis of thrombosis in pediatric patients with COVID-19, the predictive value of the CLL-international prognostic index in monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis and Rai 0 stage CLL, and results from a phase 2 trial in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with frontline carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone with autologous stem cell transplant.

In this week's episode, we will review a study that addresses the issue of reconstitution of immunity to cytomegalovirus in transplant patients receiving the antiviral drug letermovir, learn more about the role extracellular vesicles play in forming a tumor supportive stromal cell niche in follicular lymphoma, and finally, look at a report identifying a mechanism that couples the treatment of acute ischemic stroke with tissue plasminogen activator to the development of intracerebral hemorrhage.

This discussion dives deep into VEXAS syndrome, a newly recognized adult-onset inflammatory condition linked to UBA1 mutations. It details how these mutations disrupt cellular processes and lead to severe symptoms. Listeners learn about the distinct inflammatory signatures and histological features of the syndrome. The conversation also explores its prevalence, recommended tests, and potential treatments like cyclosporine and JAK inhibitors. The talk highlights the ongoing mysteries surrounding VEXAS biology, paving the way for future research.

In this week’s episode, we will review a study that uses a combination of mouse models to identify IL-19 as a potent cytokine capable of promoting expansion and proliferation of neutrophils, examine the effects of targeted therapies on autoimmune cytopenia in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and learn about the mechanism of excessive complement activation caused by mutations in factor H-related protein 1 in patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

In this week’s episode, we will review the role of the hypoxia pathway in regulating neutrophil migration, explore the relationship between endothelial extracellular vesicles and the hemostatic effects of clotting Factor VIIa, and finally look at long-term outcomes with the BTK-inhibitor acalabrutinib in treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.

Platelets are critical for hemostasis and thrombosis, but recent research highlights their role in many other processes, including inflammation, wound healing, and lymphangiogenesis. In this episode, Drs. José López, Elisabeth Battinelli, Craig Williams, and Owen McCarty discuss the review series on platelets and cancer. The series focuses on the emerging role of platelets in cancer, influencing tumor growth and metastasis, immune evasion, and tumor angiogenesis. The reviews present the current understanding of mutual cross talk between platelets and tumors, communication mediated by RNA transfer and extracellular vesicles, and the potential of antiplatelet agents for cancer treatment.Review Series on Platelets and Cancer

In this week’s episode, we will review a study demonstrating low rates of response to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, review a study looking at associations between post-transplantation cyclophosphamide and cytomegalovirus infection according to donor source, and look at new research indicating that abnormal venous calf muscle pump function in the legs is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and predictor of all-cause mortality.

In this week’s episode, we will review a study in sickle cell disease patients reporting abnormal retention of mitochondria in circulating red cells and elevated mitochondrial DNA in plasma, learn more about the fate of FLT3-ITD clones in AML patients treated with midostaurin, and look at a study showing, for the first time, that selected elderly patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma benefit from modification of standard myeloma treatment based on the level of frailty.