The May issue of Experimental Hematology is here!

Explore the latest findings, innovative studies and thought-provoking insights that continue to shape the field! Read the May Issue on ExpHem. 

Explore this Issue's Lineup:

Identification of key biomarkers for initial corticosteroid resistance in newly diagnosed primary immune thrombocytopenia

Yanming Wang, Jia Chen, Huiyuan Li,...Jun Peng, Xinguang Liu, Lei Zhang

Corticosteroids are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for the management of various immune-related disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), asthma and even transplant rejection. According to clinical guidelines, corticosteroids remain the standard initial treatment choice for patients with newly diagnosed primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, only 50%–85% of patients with ITP respond to corticosteroid therapy, many of whom experience relapse rapidly. Read more>

Heme synthesis inhibition induces the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in leukemia with OSGIN1 upregulation

Yan Yan, Hiroki Kato, Sayaka Sano,...Hisayuki Yokoyama, Tohru Fujiwara, Hideo Harigae

Acute myeloid leukemia cells have a unique metabolic status, and identifying its metabolic vulnerabilities is warranted. Heme is required not only for hemoglobin synthesis but also for the proper function of hemoproteins. However, still little is known about the importance of heme synthesis in leukemia cells. We revealed that heme synthesis is required for leukemia cell proliferation and survival. Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis revealed that heme synthesis inhibition induced OSGIN1 expression, leading to the release of cytochrome c and Smac from mitochondria into the cytoplasm. Therefore, heme synthesis inhibition induced leukemia apoptosis by activating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Read more>

Gremlin-1 promotes leukemic survival via PI3K/AKT signaling in infant MLL-AF4–positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Xiaotian Liu, Youjian Zhang, Shenghao Hua, Xuejun Shao, Lei Yin

Gremlin-1 (GREM1) is overexpressed in infant MLL-AF4–positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and promotes leukemic cell survival by activating PI3K/AKT signaling, making it a potential therapeutic target. Read more>

Sustained MYC overexpression drives myeloid differentiation block and acquisition of leukemic phenotypes

Nicole Stokes, Saul Carcamo, Deniz Demircioglu,...Hideo Watanabe, Eirini P. Papapetrou, David Dominguez-Sola

Hematopoiesis is governed by the coordinated control of self-renewal, proliferation, and cell differentiation, which is achieved through changes in chromatin accessibility and gene expression orchestrated by transcription factors (TFs) and the epigenetic machinery. MYC is a TF that regulates essential cellular functions, most prominently cellular growth and differentiation. MYC overexpression plays a role in cancer development in various human cancers and is especially frequent in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) across different genetic groups. Read more>

TET2 loss enhances early response to inflammation in primitive and committed myeloid cells

Matthew T. Jenkins, Rebecca Dubin, Kirsten M. Dickerson,...Rui Lu, Robert S. Welner, Paul Brent Ferrell

Open Access

TET2 loss and IL-1β stimulation collaborate to induce cytokine expression as well as proliferation- and differentiation-related transcription factors in myeloid progenitors, whereas differentiated myeloid cells lacking TET2 produce a much larger, more diverse repertoire of inflammatory cytokine transcripts. Both of these cell state-specific effects of TET2 loss were countered with IKK-complex inhibition, highlighting a potential therapeutic avenue for clonal blood disorders. Read more>

Functional equivalence of γ- and x-ray irradiation for long-term peripheral blood chimerism and acute myeloid leukemia transplant outcomes in mice

Shawn David, Griffin J. Nye, Elizabeth Eudy, Ewelina Bolcun-Filas, Jennifer J. Trowbridge, Kira A. Young

Open Access

Widespread transition from 137Cs γ irradiators to x-ray systems for myeloablation before mouse hematopoietic cell transplant has raised questions about whether these modalities yield equivalent biological outcomes. Here, we systematically evaluated γ and x-ray irradiation across dose and dose-rate conditions and tested dose equivalents in CD45.1/CD45.2 reciprocal transplants and in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) transplant models. Although each modality exhibited distinct early effects, both ultimately supported comparable long-term donor chimerism in congenic transplants and equivalent AML engraftment, leukemic burden, and disease progression. Read more>

Corrigendum to Abstract 3061 ‘A clickable vitamin C analog for resolving uptake and therapeutic potential in the treatment of hematological malignancies’ Experimental Hematology 151S (2025) 105002

Ana Peci, Yoon Yap, Kenny Do,...Tiffany Leesang, Peter Lyon, Luisa Cimmino

The authors regret that the authorship contributions were not in the correct order, and that the affiliation listing was mistakenly duplicated in the original abstract listing. This information is now correct as above. Read more>