At the 51st EBMT Annual Meeting, Dr.Konradin Müskens (Prinses Máxima Centrum voor kinderoncologie, Netherlands) presented findings from the GS2-4 session on “Prevalence and Origin of Clonal Hematopoiesis in Long-Term Survivors of Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.”
His team’s research reveals that the prevalence of clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is notably increased among long-term survivors of pediatric HCT. Alarmingly, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) with CH driver mutations are already detectable in very young donors. Over time, external pressures such as conditioning regimens and immune stress may push these early clones into expansion potentially lasting for decades.
With survivors expected to live another 40–80 years, understanding the impact of CH on late complications becomes crucial. Dr. Müskens called for future research to investigate how CH influences post-HCT outcomes, uncover the mechanisms behind CH development, and identify targetable pathways to mitigate risk.
Thank you to Dr. Müskens for highlighting this important and evolving field in pediatric transplant survivorship.
