Stem cell transplant for SCD normalizes brain blood flow, novel GALE variants disrupt platelet development, and revisiting risk classification in NPM1-mutant AML

In this week’s episode, new research shows that in children with sickle cell disease, stem cell transplantation normalizes blood flow in the brain. The improvements in cerebral hemodynamics seen in this study may help explain the stroke protection seen following transplant in this high-risk patient population. Next up, a research article providing new insights on thrombocytopenia related to the GALE gene, including the identification of several previously unreported variants. The findings highlight the importance of GALE in the glycosylation of proteins that play a role in the production and function of platelets. Finally, we’ll review a brief report on NPM1-mutated AML with adverse cytogenetics in light of the updated ELN 2022 classification. In short, adverse-risk cytogenetics remain significantly associated with unfavorable prognosis under the refined definitions, supporting the recent categorization of this entity as adverse-risk.