Blood Podcast

This week's episode accompanies the Review Series on Marginal Zone Lymphoma published in this week's issue of Blood. Associate editor, Dr. Philippe Armand interviews authors Dr. Juan Pablo Alderuccio and Dr. Ariela Noy on their contribution to this review series titled "The treatment of marginal zone lymphoma". The article is crucial in highlighting the clinically and biologically heterogenous nature of MZL diseases, and how current treatment options and available research do not allow for comprehensive MZL specific therapies. Drs. Alderuccio and Noy share their insights on specific avenues for the expansion of the MZL care landscape.

Find the full review series in volume 147 issue 2 of Blood journal.

In this week's episode we've pulled a vault recording from 2025! Blood editor Dr. Laurie Sehn interviews authors Drs. David-Alexandre Trégouët and Johannes Schetelig on their research published in volume 146 issue 19 of Blood journal. Dr. Trégouët's study conducted a genome-wide association study supplemented by transcriptome and Mendelian randomization analyses to identify 28 loci and proteins associated with VTE recurrence risk. This work provides genomic evidence that inherited variants contribute to the risk of VTE recurrence, raising the possibility of a more personalized approach to the prevention of recurrent VTE. The study conducted by Dr. Schetelig and colleagues report the results of a long term trial on patients with poor-response AML, comparing outcomes between patients who received salvage chemotherapy versus immediate transplantation. With no difference in survival rates at 5 years, outcomes seem to be determined mainly by genetic risk factors, age, and comorbidities, therefore challenging the routine use of intensive remission induction before allogeneic transplant in patients with an available donor and underscore the need for novel therapeutic strategies for poor-risk AML.

Featured Articles:

• Molecular Determinants of Thrombosis Recurrence Risk Across Venous Thromboembolism Subtypes 
• Disease risk but not remission status determines transplant outcomes in AML: long-term outcomes of the ASAP trial 
  
  

In this week's episode, Blood editor Dr. James Griffin interviews authors Drs. Vincent Muczynski and Mark Geyer on their latest research published in Blood. Dr. Muczynski's research asks if there could there be a better gene than the factor VIII (FVIII) gene to transfer for curative treatment of hemophilia A? Dr. Geyer then explores CAR T cells armed with interleukin-18 (IL-18) secretion that target CD371, a transmembrane glycoprotein with high expression on AML and leukemia-initiating cells. Both studies explore finding novel targets for these powerful treatment modalities. 

Featured Articles:

• Alternative AAV gene therapy for hemophilia A using expression of Bi8, a novel single-chain FVIII-mimetic antibody
• CD371-targeted CAR T cells secreting interleukin-18 exhibit robust expansion and clear refractory acute myeloid leukemia

In this week's episode, Blood editor Dr. Laurie Sehn interviews three of the latest Blood authors: Drs. Vijay Sankaran, Ruud Delwel, Françoise Kraeber-Bodere. Two studies on the MECOM gene have been paired in this episode, analyzing new groundwork for potential novel myeloid differentiation therapies via repression of MECOM restoring enhancer mediated CEBPA expression. We'll also hear about the results of CASSIOPET, imaging companion study of the CASSIOPEIA trial, and how achieving negativity in PET before starting maintenance therapy is significant even in patients who still show residual disease in the bone marrow.

Featured Articles

• CEBPA repression by MECOM blocks differentiation to drive aggressive leukemias
• MECOM is a master repressor of myeloid differentiation through dose control of CEBPA in acute myeloid leukemia 
• Prognostic value of premaintenance FDG PET/CT response in patients with newly diagnosed from the CASSIOPEIA trial

In this Review Series episode, Blood Associate Editor, Dr. Elisabeth Battinelli discusses the Platelet Heterogeneity with authors Drs. Craig Morrell, Larry Frelinger, and Leo Nicolai. 

Find the full review series in volume 146 issue 24 of Blood. 

In this special episode, Blood editor Dr. Laura Michaelis interviews Dr. Arielle Langer and Blood Associate editor Dr. Marc Blondon for this special Maternal Health episode. In honor of the second Maternal Health compendium, both discuss their papers featured in this special collection. 

Featured Articles: 

• β-Thalassemia minor is associated with high rates of worsening anemia in pregnancy
• Longitudinal profile of estrogen-related thrombotic biomarkers after cessation of combined hormonal contraceptives

See the entire Maternal Health Compendium Second Edition

 In this week's episode, Blood editor Dr. James Griffin speaks with Drs. Emanuele Zucca and Sandra Pinho about their latest articles published in Blood. Dr. Zucca discusses his second analysis of the IELSG37 trial, where findings suggested that R-CHOP21 rituximab, cyclophosphamide,
doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, administered every 21 days) may be a suboptimal frontline regimen for PMBCL. Dr. Pinho discusses the aging megakaryocytic niche and its influence on the age-associated decline in HSC and progenitor cell function. The authors demonstrate that remodeling of the megakaryocytic niche and associated platelet factor 4 (PF4) downregulation are central mechanisms driving HSC aging.

Featured Articles: 

• Impact of immunochemotherapy regimens on outcomes of patients with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma in the IELSG37 trial 
• Platelet Factor 4 (PF4) Regulates Hematopoietic Stem Cell Aging 

In this week's episode, Blood editor Dr. Laurie Sehn interviews authors Drs. Lorenzo Falchi and Robert Levy on their latest papers published in Blood Journal. Dr. Falchi discusses his work on an open-label, multicenter phase 1b/2 study evaluating fixed-duration epcoritamab with rituximab and lenalidomide in 108 patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. Dr. Levy shares his work on demonstrating that in vivo expansion of Tregs in recipients prior to transplant is possible by activating TNFRSF25 (also known as death receptor 3) in combination with low-dose interleukin-2 in preclinical models. Both papers showed impressive and promising results for the treatment of lymphoma and GVHD.

Featured Articles

• Fixed-Duration Epcoritamab Plus R2 Drives Favorable Outcomes in Relapsed or Refractory Follicular Lymphoma
• Pre-transplant targeting of TNFRSF25 and CD25 stimulates recipient Tregs in target tissues ameliorating GVHD post-HSCT

In this week's episode, Blood editor Dr. Laura Michaelis interviews authors Drs. Terri Parker and Peter Lenting on their latest papers published in Blood Journal. Dr. Lenting discusses his work on introducing a new therapeutic approach to von Willebrand disease with the development of a novel bispecific antibody (KB-V13A12) that links endogenous mouse VWF to albumin, extending VWF half-life twofold with cessation of provoked bleeding. Dr Parker shares the results of a 43-patient phase 2 study that evaluates the single agent isatuximab, a CD38 monoclonal antibody, in patients with relapsed/refractory AL amyloidosis. With a hematological response rate of 77%, organ response rates between 50 and 57%, and an excellent safety profile, the current study lays the foundation for future use of isatuximab across treatment settings and combination strategies.

Featured Articles

• Isatuximab for Relapsed and/or Refractory AL Amyloidosis: Results of a Prospective Phase 2 Trial (SWOG S1702)
• A bispecific nanobody for the treatment of von Willebrand disease type 1

In this week's episode, associate editor Dr. James Griffin interviews researchers Dr. John Semple and Dr. Othman Al-Sawaf on their groundbreaking studies on transfusion-related acute lung injury and chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment. Dr. Semple explored how mitochondrial DNA could act as a first hit in lung injury, while Dr. Al-Sawaf revealed that patient fitness may not significantly impact the efficacy of targeted CLL treatments. Both studies challenge existing medical assumptions and suggest new approaches to understanding disease mechanisms and treatment responses.

Featured Articles

• The impact of fitness and dose intensity on clinical outcomes with venetoclax-obinutuzumab in CLL
• Mitochondrial DNA via recipient TLR9 acts as a potent first-hit in murine transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)