Imagine you’re a physician practicing in the early 1960s, limited to treating people with acute leukemia with steroids, confronting grim outcomes, and hoping for better treatment options. Suddenly, you wake up in 2024, where the treatments seem almost magical — some precisely targeting cancer cells, while others direct the patient’s immune system to fight the disease. At #ASH24, transformative treatment will be in the spotlight. The Scientific Workshops, set for Friday, December 6, will shed light on the progress that’s been made and the hurdles that remain.
Each generation faces new challenges, and while great strides have been made in blood cancer treatments, the need for innovation remains vital. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has transformed hematology, yet obstacles persist, with many patients with lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma still experiencing relapses or lack of response. At the workshop Understanding and Overcoming Tumor-Intrinsic Resistance to CAR-T Therapies for Lymphoid Malignancies, leading experts Francesco Maura, MD, and Jonathan H. Schatz, MD, will explore the cell-intrinsic mechanisms of resistance to CAR-T therapies.
“Research that generates comprehension of resistance mechanisms opens the way for new therapies able to overcome them,” Dr. Schatz said. “This is the key initial step on the road to improved patient care.”
During the workshop on tumor-intrinsic resistance to CAR-T, Ash A. Alizadeh, MD, PhD, will deliver a lecture on how easily we can now study malignant genomes in CAR-T patients, providing new insights into cancer biology and presenting an invaluable opportunity for both translational scientists and clinicians. “Bench to bedside and back to bench is a virtuous cycle that fuels progress throughout medicine,” said Dr. Schatz.
As hematologists, we carry the heart-wrenching stories of patients with whom we stood tirelessly, exploring every possible treatment avenue, even when we were unable to provide the solution for which they were hoping. The complexities of biology that lead to treatment resistance continue to challenge clinicians and scientists alike, often questioning our resolve. Christina Glytsou, PhD, Daniel Starczynowski, PhD, and Panagiotis Ntziachristos, PhD, are actively piecing together the puzzle and will showcase their work during their workshop, Therapy Resistance Mechanisms in Blood Malignancies. This event will feature discussions of how current approaches revolve around more than just DNA, exploring the interplay between therapy and RNA modifications in acute leukemia while offering valuable insights into epigenetics, transcriptomics, and translational and post-translational modifications.
You will also not want to miss Aging and Hematology, with topics that bring to mind issues explored in the classic sci-fi film Logan’s Run, in which society’s age limit of 30 leaves individuals unaware of the natural aging process. In hematology, understanding aging is vital, as older adults with diverse health profiles represent a significant proportion of our patient population. Co-chaired by Megan Weivoda, PhD, and Kah Poh Loh, MD, MB BCh BAO, MS, this series of discussions will explore how cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to aging in hematologic diseases, offering fresh insights into the biology behind these conditions.
“Geroscience biomarkers offer a promising path to tailor treatments, potentially minimizing the risks of both over- and under-treatment,” Dr. Loh said. With the potential to transform hematologic care, biomarkers could enable more precise treatment selection and improved patient outcomes. Sessions will connect “inflammaging” and the bone marrow microenvironment with clonal hematologic diseases Designed to foster interactive, debate-style discussion, attendees will be able to unlock novel insights into aging and hematology.
With 10 engaging Scientific Workshops featuring discussions planned and led by experts in each field, #ASH24 has something on the menu to accompany everyone's Friday afternoon tea. Mark your calendar to be part of this insightful exchange of innovation and breakthroughs and be inspired by the people who are shaping the future of hematology.
