2013-01-31

Welcome to “This Week in Blood,” a weekly snapshot of the hottest studies from each week’s issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), hand-picked by Blood Editor-in-Chief Bob Löwenberg, MD, and Deputy Editor Nancy Berliner, MD. If you would like a PDF copy of any of the manuscripts highlighted below or would like to request an interview with the author, please email aslesinski@hematology.org.

Steady-state neutrophil homeostasis is dependent on TLR4/TRIF signaling, Bugl et al.

Determining how normal neutrophil numbers are maintained is a particularly important and intriguing question in hematology. In this manuscript, the authors address this historically challenging area of hematology research by presenting a model to study the mechanisms regulating neutropoiesis at a steady state (i.e., in the absence of infection). The investigators identify a mechanism of steady-state neutrophil homeostasis that involves a novel, direct link between granulopoiesis and the toll-like receptor (TLR)-triggered pathway.

Double unit grafts successfully extend the application of umbilical cord blood transplantation in adults with acute leukemia, Scaradavou et al.

Patients in need of a stem cell transplant who do not have a matched related or unrelated donor may have the alternative option of an umbilical cord blood transplant. However, for most adults, the cell dose of these partially histocompatible cord blood units is so small that a transplant is not feasible. This manuscript describes the results of the largest retrospective comparison of single versus double cord blood transplantation in adults with acute leukemia to date, providing evidence that two small cord blood units or a less costly, sufficiently large single unit can be used with similar safety and therapeutic effectiveness.

Multicenter phase I trial of intraventricularimmuno-chemotherapy in recurrent CNS lymphoma, Rubenstein et al.

This paper presents the findings of one of the largest studies to evaluate the efficacy of the anti-B-cell lymphoma antibody intrathecal rituximab for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma, a condition that poses significant therapeutic challenges in clinical management. The new intervention reported in this manuscript defines the appropriate dose and frequency of rituximab in the spinal fluid and establishes the safety of a combination intrathecal rituximab and standard methotrexate regimen. These observations also set the stage for the future possibility of adding rituximab to standard intrathecal methotrexate for prophylaxis of patients at high risk for CNS relapse.

Reporters who wish to receive a copy of any of the manuscripts highlighted above or would like to request an interview with the authors may contact Andrea Slesinski at 202-552-4927 or aslesinski@hematology.org   

Blood (www.bloodjournal.org), the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field of hematology, is available weekly in print and online. Blood is the official journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (www.hematology.org), the world’s largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders.

ASH’s mission is to further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic, hemostatic, and vascular systems by promoting research, clinical care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology.

blood® is a registered trademark of the American Society of Hematology.

back to top