Hematology Frontier

As the Nordic summer welcomed the global hematology community, the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA 2026) Congress was held in Stockholm, Sweden, from June 11–14. During this year's meeting, the pediatric hematology team from the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), led by Professor Xiaofan Zhu, presented five cutting-edge studies, including one oral presentation and four poster presentations.

At the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress, Chinese investigators once again showcased their contributions to lymphoma research. Professor Haiwen Huang and colleagues from The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University presented two studies in the poster session. One employed Mendelian randomization to systematically investigate the causal relationship between genetically predicted viral infections and the risk of lymphoma across multiple subtypes. The other reported results from a Phase III multicenter trial evaluating a liposomal mitoxantrone hydrochloride-based CMOP±R regimen as first-line therapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

At the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress, a multicenter study led by Professor Hu Xiaoxia's team from Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, was selected for an oral presentation and received the Young EHA Best Abstract Award. Addressing the longstanding challenge of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) management following antithymocyte globulin (ATG)-based allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), the investigators proposed an innovative strategy of early prophylactic rituximab. The study demonstrated that this approach significantly reduced the incidence of EBV infection and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) without compromising long-term immune reconstitution, representing a fundamental shift from reactive management to proactive prevention. During the congress, Hematology Frontier interviewed first author Dr. Zhang Ao to discuss the clinical rationale, mechanisms underlying the multiple clinical benefits, and future directions for optimizing this strategy.

The 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress in Stockholm has concluded, unveiling a series of important advances in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To help clinicians rapidly interpret the meeting's most impactful findings, the inaugural CSCO Leukemia Young Committee Perspectives webinar was held on June 14 through a collaboration between the CSCO Leukemia Youth Committee and Hematology Frontier. The program was chaired by Professor Qiu Shaowei, Chair of the CSCO Leukemia Committee Youth Group from the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS). Joining the discussion were Professor Pei Shanzhan from the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Liangzhu Laboratory, Professor Tang Feifei from Peking University People's Hospital, and Professor Cao Yigeng from the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS). Together, they provided an in-depth review of the latest AML research presented at EHA 2026, highlighting its clinical significance and future implications.

Steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGVHD) remains one of the greatest clinical challenges following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). At the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress, Professor Song Qingxiao from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University presented an oral presentation reporting his team's latest discoveries on the pathogenesis of SR-aGVHD. The study demonstrated that 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC) can restore steroid sensitivity by reshaping T-cell lineage metabolism, providing a novel strategy for pre-transplant risk stratification and individualized intervention. During the meeting, Hematology Frontier interviewed Professor Song to discuss the clinical significance of these findings and their potential to overcome one of the most difficult barriers in SR-aGVHD management.

The 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting was grandly held in Madrid, Spain. As one of the most influential academic events in the global hematology field, the application of allo-HSCT in myeloid neoplasms remains a focus of academic debate and innovation. This specialized session, chaired by Professor Anna Sureda (Catalan Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain), focused on post-transplant molecular monitoring, refinement of prognostic strategies, and algorithm optimization for refractory cases in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Research teams from China, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, and other countries shared five milestone academic reports, providing new evidence-based medical grounds for clinical precision transplantation.

At the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting, experts including Professor Paolo Ghia from Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Professor Barbara Eichhorst from the University Hospital of Cologne, and Professor Elżbieta Kalicińska from Wroclaw Medical University jointly released and interpreted the latest version of the "EHA Guidelines for the Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Richter Transformation (RT)". This update not only incorporates data from multiple cutting-edge targeted studies but also includes "Richter Transformation" in the title for the first time, aiming to provide a more practical clinical pathway for hematologists worldwide.

At the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress, Professor Claire Harrison from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, shared the latest research data on the mutation-specific monoclonal antibody INCA033989 (hereinafter referred to as "989") for the treatment of calreticulin (CALR)-mutated myelofibrosis (MF) patients. This study aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of this first-in-class drug in monotherapy and combination regimens, providing a new path for precision treatment in this specific subpopulation of CALR-mutated patients.

At the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting, Professor Giuseppe De Franceschi from the University of Verona, Italy, representing the joint working group of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and EHA, delivered an in-depth interpretation of the latest update to the "Guidelines for Patient Selection for Gene Therapy in Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassemia (TDT)." This guideline update aims to integrate the latest clinical evidence from gene addition and gene editing technologies to provide standardized patient screening and follow-up pathways for hematologists worldwide.

At the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting, Professor Georg Lenz from the University of Münster, Germany, on behalf of the FRONTMIND study group, delivered an oral presentation on the final analysis results of the Phase 3 FRONTMIND study. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of adding the CD19 monoclonal antibody Tafasitamab and the immunomodulatory drug Lenalidomide to the standard R-CHOP regimen (hereafter referred to as Tafa-Len+R-CHOP) for the frontline treatment of patients with high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).