Hematology Frontier

The 2024 China Expert Consensus on metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in hematological disorders, published in Blood Science, offers the first national guidance on how mNGS should be applied to infection diagnosis in this highly vulnerable population. Because hematological diseases and their treatments cause profound immunosuppression, infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Traditional microbiological tests (CMTs) frequently produce delayed or negative results, especially after antibiotic exposure. mNGS, which enables broad, unbiased pathogen detection, has therefore become an essential complementary tool. 

Published in Blood Science in 2025, the study led by Zichang Shen examines the impact of central nervous system leukemia (CNSL) on outcomes after umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT). CNSL remains a difficult manifestation of acute leukemia…

Published in Blood Science in 2025, the study led by Zichang Shen examines the impact of central nervous system leukemia (CNSL) on outcomes after umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT). CNSL remains a difficult manifestation of acute leukemia because leukemic cells within the CNS can evade systemic chemotherapy and drive relapse. Although allogeneic transplantation is the most effective curative approach for high-risk disease, the influence of prior CNS involvement on post-transplant outcomes has remained uncertain. Shen and colleagues therefore evaluated how a history of CNSL affects long-term prognosis following UCBT. 

The commentary “Alpha-enolase promotes progression of acute myeloid leukemia via MAPK/ERK signaling pathway” by Zhang et al., published in Blood Science (2025), examines the clinical and biological significance of ENO1 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). ENO1, a glycolytic enzyme with additional regulatory roles, has been implicated in several solid tumors, but its function in AML had not been fully clarified. Through integrated analyses of patient samples, functional assays, transcriptomics, and in vivo models, the authors demonstrate that ENO1 is overexpressed in AML and promotes disease progression mainly through MAPK/ERK pathway activation. 

The commentary “Unrelated Cord Blood as a Source of Stem Cells: Cryopreservation Damage Can Be Alleviated by Restoring Mitochondrial Function” by Norbert Claude Gorin, published in Blood Science (2025), highlights…

The commentary “Daratumumab in Children with Advanced Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura”, written by Robert Peter Gale (Imperial College London; Peking University People’s Hospital; Sun Yat-sen Cancer Centre), was published in Blood…

The commentary “A Promising Leap in Treating Large Granular Lymphocytic Leukemia: Reflections on a Multicenter Phase II Study of Thalidomide-Based Therapy” by Xue Kong and Ken H. Young from Duke…

At the 50th Annual Meeting of the EBMT in Glasgow, Scotland, Raynier Devillier, MD, PhD, of the Paoli-Calmettes Institute in Marseille, France, offered a detailed comparison of transplantation outcomes for patients receiving grafts from haploidentical versus unrelated donors. Dr. Devillier highlighted new data from The French Society of Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (SFGM-TC) that indicates survival outcomes are comparable between the two donor types. This finding allows clinicians greater flexibility to select a donor based on the individual needs of the patient. 

In recent years, breakthroughs in gene and cell therapy have brought revolutionary hope for the diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases and malignant tumors. Recently, a six-year long-term follow-up study published in The New England Journal of Medicine confirmed the lasting efficacy and favorable safety of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated Factor IX gene therapy for patients with hemophilia B. However, extending this therapy to a broader patient population still faces numerous challenges. Meanwhile, cell therapies, represented by CAR-T therapy, have shown immense potential in hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases, with their technological development entering a new phase. From November 13-16, 2025, the 2025 International Conference on Cell and Immunotherapy (CTI 2025) will be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. During the conference, Oncology Horizon - Hematology Express specifically invited Professor John E.J. Rasko AO from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Australia, to systematically elaborate on the clinical progress, existing challenges, and future directions of these advanced therapies, with the aim of providing reference for clinical practice and research in this field. 

Professor Mohamad Mohty, Head of the Hematology and Cellular Therapy Department at Saint-Antoine Hospital and Sorbonne University, Paris, discusses a paradigm shift in managing acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD).He highlights the critical role of gut microbiota dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of aGVHD following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and elaborates on the therapeutic potential of microbiota modulation.