Issue Archive

In this issue of Blood, Akhtari et al present a retrospective analysis of baseline positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in relation to the prognostic significance of the metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in risk classification of early-stage HL.¹  These measurements yield estimates of the total tumor burden, which has previously been demonstrated to be one of the most significant prognostic factor in HL.²  A more precise discrimination between low-risk vs high-risk HL using baseline PET-CT characteristics could be clinically useful and might inform treatment decisions.

In this issue of Blood, El Ashkar et al¹  reveal that the lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF) protein is a key therapeutic target by showing that it is essential for leukemia, but not normal hematopoiesis. Such context-dependent information is important for the development of new targeted therapies.

In this issue of Blood, Dossa et al report the engineering of T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T cells against the human minor histocompatibility antigen HA-1 for the prevention or treatment of leukemia relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.¹ 

In this issue of Blood, Hill and colleagues characterized infectious complications in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies after treatment with CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor–modified T (CAR-T) cells in a phase 1/2 study.¹  This is the first study that systemically analyzed infectious events in CAR–T-cell–treated patients.

In this issue of Blood, Gillissen and colleagues characterize donor-derived cytotoxic antibodies, isolated from allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HSCT) patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in sustained remission, that targeted the spliceosome U5 snRNP200 complex expressed on the cell membrane of AML blasts. Mechanistically, in vitro antibody-dependent cytotoxicity did not cause leukemia cell apoptosis, but rather destabilization of the cell membrane cytoskeleton and subsequent pore formation, resulting in cellular swelling and extravasation of intracellular contents (oncosis). In addition, in vivo reduction in AML burden using a U5 snRNP200–specific antibody was demonstrated in a murine SCID xenograft model. Collectively, the authors’ work suggests a potential role for donor-derived antibodies in mediating graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) activity following allogeneic HSCT.¹ 

In this issue of Blood, Saris et al show that some HLA antigens, namely, B8, B12, and B35, vary in expression on the platelets of some individuals and that this is a constant variant in these people.¹ 

Publisher's Note: There is a Blood Commentary on this article in this issue.

Publisher's Note: There is a Blood Commentary on this article in this issue.

Publisher's Note: There is a Blood Commentary on this article in this issue.

Publisher's Note: There is a Blood Commentary on this article in this issue.