
Blood Podcast
The Blood Podcast summarizes content recently published in Blood, the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field of hematology.
Latest episodes

Sep 29, 2022 • 22min
Ticagrelor in pediatric sickle cell disease, UBA1 translation impacts severity of VEXAS syndrome, and T-cell immunity and chemotherapy response in ALL
In this week’s episode we’ll learn more about the negative findings from the phase three trial of ticagrelor for preventing vaso-occlusive crises in children with sickle cell disease, discuss how residual cytoplasmic UBA1 contributes to the pathogenesis of VEXAS syndrome, and learn more about the impact of host T-cell immunity in the response to chemotherapy in pediatric ALL.

Sep 22, 2022 • 20min
Race affects treatment outcomes in iTTP, 2022 ELN AML recommendations, and a comprehensive MRD assessment in MCL
In this week’s episode we’ll take a quick look at the latest European Leukemia Net recommendations for the diagnosis and management of acute myeloid leukemia. We’ll also describe a comprehensive analysis of a phase 3 trial indicating that MRD is a strong outcome predictor over the entire natural history of mantle cell lymphoma, setting the stage for potential risk stratification tools that may be suitable for MRD-guided treatment. We'll also look at a large US registry study demonstrating that black patients with idiopathic thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura had a shorter time to relapse and less response to rituximab compared to white patients. These findings suggest a potential need for closer monitoring, early retreatment, and alternative treatments.

Sep 15, 2022 • 19min
The International Consensus Classification: An interview with Drs. Daniel Arber and Elias Campo
In this bonus episode, we’re delighted to have Dr. Dan Arber from the University of Chicago and Dr. Elias Campo from the University of Barcelona. With members of the Clinical Advisory Committee, Drs. Arber and Campo led efforts to develop the new International Consensus Classification for what we refer to as the ICC.

Sep 15, 2022 • 21min
Tranexamic acid prophylaxis in heme malignancies, N-glycosylation as a therapeutic vulnerability in CALR-mutant MPN, and myocardial fibrosis in sickle cell anemia
In this week’s episode we’ll discuss the efficacy of tranexamic acid prophylaxis in patients with hematological malignancies, learn more about N-glycosylation as a therapeutic vulnerability in CALR-mutant MPN, and discuss how early initiation of disease-modifying therapy may be able to reduce myocardial fibrosis in sickle cell anemia.

Sep 8, 2022 • 18min
Rest alleviates T-cell exhaustion by bispecific antibodies, exercise vs desmopressin in mild hemophilia A, and targeting MDM2 to enhance antileukemia immunity after transplant

Sep 1, 2022 • 21min
Sutimlimab vs placebo in cold agglutinin disease, the impact of etoposide versus auto-transplant in PTCL, and the role of pulmonary NETs in sickle cell disease
In this week’s episode, we review results of a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial demonstrating that targeted inhibition of C1s with the monoclonal antibody sutimlimab is effective and well tolerated in non-transfusion-dependent patients with cold agglutinin disease. We’ll also review a population-based study evaluating the impact of adding either etoposide or autologous stem cell transplantation to CHOP in young and fit patients with peripheral T cell lymphomas. Finally, we’ll review a paper that elucidates a mechanism of lung injury in sickle cell disease. It involves gasdermin-D-dependent production of neutrophil extracellular traps in the liver, which travel intravascularly to the lung, where they promote occlusion of the pulmonary microcirculation.

Aug 25, 2022 • 20min
Rivaroxaban after cancer surgery, genetics and survival in severe aplastic anemia, and a 5-year follow up of rituximab-venetoclax in relapsed/refractory CLL
In this week’s episode discuss the efficacy of rivaroxaban as antithrombotic prophylaxis after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer, learn more about the association between genomic variants and survival outcomes after hematopoietic cell transplantation in severe aplastic anemia, and discuss the long-term safety and efficacy of fixed-duration venetoclax plus rituximab in relapsed/refractory CLL.

Aug 18, 2022 • 21min
Stroke in hereditary TTP, and germline DDX41 variants as risk factors and prognostic markers in myeloid neoplasms
In this week’s episode, we’ll learn more about neuropsychiatric manifestations and stroke risk in hereditary TTP, discuss germline DDX41 variants as predisposing factors to myeloid neoplasms, and learn more about the prognostic impact of DDX41 mutations in adults with intensively treated AML.

Aug 11, 2022 • 19min
Cost effectiveness of first-line daratumumab in MM, base-edited CAR T cells for T-ALL, and the role of SETBP1 mutations in chronic neutrophilic leukemia
In this week’s episode new research suggesting that, in patients with transplant-eligible multiple myeloma, adding daratumumab to first-line combination regimens may be a more cost effective strategy than saving it for second-line use. We’ll also review the work of researchers who applied base-editing technology to develop a complex and potent CAR T cell product for potential “off-the-shelf” use in patients with T-cell leukemias and other CD7-positive malignancies. Finally, we’ll review a paper that elucidates the role of SETBP1 mutations in chronic neutrophilic leukemia, pointing the way toward a potential multi-pronged therapeutic approach to this rare myeloproliferative neoplasm.

Aug 4, 2022 • 21min
Immune thrombocytopenia and adenoviral SARS-COV2 vaccines, genomics, and a risk assessment model of anti-CD19 CAR T-cell treatment outcomes in lymphoma
In this week’s episode we’ll discuss the factors influencing the development of immune thrombocytopenia after administration of the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine, learn about the genomic features underlying anti-CD19 CAR T-cell treatment failure in lymphoma, and introduce a new predictive model for risk assessment before CAR T-cell therapy for large B-cell lymphoma.