2013-02-21
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.
In vivo generation of transplantable human hematopoietic cells from induced pluripotent stem cells, Amabile et al.
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have been postulated to offer the promise of individualized cellular therapy; however, to date, the derivation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from iPS cells has proved very inefficient. In this manuscript, Amabile and colleagues report successful derivation of HSCs from human iPS cells. The authors report that by injecting iPS cells into immunodeficient mice, the mice formed teratomas, from which investigators derived transplantable myeloid and lymphoid cells. This brings the potential use of iPS cells to derive customized cells for clinical intervention closer to reality.
Race and ethnicity in decisions about unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donation, Switzer et al.
The identification of potential unrelated donors for transplantation for racial and ethnic minorities continues to be problematic. Part of this difficulty stems from the diversity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA, protein markers found on immune system genes that determine the compatibility of the donated cells) in these populations that impedes identification of matched compatible donors. In this manuscript, Switzer and colleagues report that another impediment to successful unrelated donor identification is an increased attrition rate of identified potential donors, with an increased opt-out rate for racial and ethnic minorities. The authors identify several cultural, psychosocial, and other factors that contribute to this high rate of attrition, leading to suggestions of potential strategies for crafting tailored messages that might improve retention of volunteers once they have been identified as potential matched donors.
CCND2 rearrangements are the most frequent genetic events in Cyclin D1-negative mantle cell lymphoma, Salaverria et al.
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is classically associated with overexpression of the protein Cyclin D-1, and controversy exists as to whether an MCL diagnosis can be made in patients lacking these characteristic genetic changes. In this issue of Blood, Salaverria and colleagues present a comprehensive analysis of 32 patients with Cyclin D1-negative MCL, defined by morphologic and immunophenotypic similarity to classic MCL associated with overexpression of SOX11 which is seen in both Cyclin D1-positive and -negative disease. The team’s analysis demonstrates that Cyclin D1-negative MCL is a true subset of MCL with a global expression profile very similar to Cyclin D1-positive disease and is a condition that is frequently associated with rearrangements of the Cyclin D2 gene. The investigators propose that this entity be recognized and treated as MCL.
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
