Videos | Blood Disorders | Hematology

EHA 2025 Late-Breakers Reflect Diversity of Hematology Topics, From RedirecTT-1 Combo to Frailty Scales

2025-06-16 - 2025-06

In abstracts presented at the late-breaking oral session of the 2025 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress in Milan, Italy, researchers delivered exciting updates from trials of combination therapies and novel agents, findings on the cellular level, and implementation of assessments for predicting outcomes—all spanning an array of diseases both oncological and nonmalignant.
“This regimen represents an off-the-shelf dual-targeting bispecific combination that has produced results that we had not seen previously in the context of extramedullary disease,” Kumar said, which is “a big step forward and will hopefully change the natural history of the disease.”

Bad blood: On India-Canada ties

2025-06-12 - 2025-06

Ten years after he last visited Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Kananaskis, Alberta, as a special invitee to the G-7 summit outreach (June 15-17), with some hopes that the invitation from Prime Minister Mark Carney will give the two countries a chance to reset bilateral ties. Mr. Carney’s call to Mr. Modi last Friday took many by surprise, as it appeared to come at the last-minute, and possibly after some back-channel calls to ensure neither side would be embarrassed by the outcome. Under fire for the invitation despite a pending trial against Indian government agents in Canada, Mr. Carney said, quite rightly, that India, as a major world economic force, deserves to be part of the G-7 outreach deliberations. Regardless of the reasoning, both the invitation and its acceptance indicate a desire on both sides to take India-Canada ties out of the present lows. In the past two years, after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went public with thus far unsubstantiated allegations that India was behind the assassination of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and was targeting other Canadian nationals, and RCMP officials even named Home Minister Amit Shah in the conspiracy, both countries have cut mission strengths down to a third.

Study reveals novel strategy for in vivo blood stem cell gene therapy

2025-05-31 - 2025-05

A team of scientists from the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) in Milan, Italy, has identified a unique window shortly after birth in which circulating blood stem cells can be effectively targeted with gene therapy directly in the body.

Study suggests new screening method to detect blood disorders

2025-05-26 - 2025-05

India faces a significant burden of the sickle cell disease — where red blood cells become sickle-shaped, reducing oxygen-carrying capacity — and thalassemia, which causes the body to produce less haemoglobin than normal.

Teen finally meets donor who helped cure his genetic blood disorder

2025-05-19 - 2025-05

Pratham, a 12-year-old boy from Bikaner, who underwent a stem cell transplant to treat thalassemia, met his donor, 35-year-old Rohit from Kanpur for the first time.

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that reduces the body’s ability to produce haemoglobin. It requires frequent blood transfusions and can cause long-term complications. A stem cell transplant offers the only known cure, by replacing the faulty blood-forming cells with healthy ones from a matching donor.

How to give Haemophilia patients a fuller life

2025-05-03 - 2025-05

Haemophilia, a rare genetic bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn’t clot properly, affects over 100,000 people in India. But shockingly, fewer than 19,000 of them are registered with the support group Haemophilia Federation of India. This means 80 per cent of Haemophilia patients suffer without proper care.

Each bleeding episode robs patients of about 15 days of their lives. This clearly isn’t just a medical issue. Dr S.P. Verma, head of haematology department, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, explains how Haemophilia robs people in India of their childhood, career, finances and future.

The hidden toll: Most bleeding disorders go undetected until severe damage occurs. Families face impossible choices when a bleed strikes: rush to a hospital or watch their loved one suffer. Emergency care alone costs significantly. On top of that, child patients miss weeks of school, falling behind their peers. Adults risk losing their jobs because they can’t work consistently. Mothers often quit their careers to become full-time caregivers. The ripple effects can devastate entire families.

Treatment paths: Most Haemophilia patients in India rely on ‘on-demand therapy‘ getting treatment only after bleeding starts. This reactive approach means more than 20 painful bleeds a year; about 12 of these bleeds happen in the joints, such as knees and elbows, each episode requiring hospitalisation and recovery time. The consequences are brutal: permanent joint damage by adulthood, chronic pain and limited mobility.

Prophylaxis, the alternative treatment, can transform the situation. This preventive treatment involves regular infusions to stop bleeds before they occur. Globally, it’s the gold standard that reduces bleeds by more than half and allows people to live near-normal lives. Children can play and study; adults can keep jobs. But in India, less than 4 per cent of patients can access prophylaxis due to the costs and lack of governmental support.

Numbers don’t lie: The difference between the two treatments is stark. On-demand patients could average 20-30 bleeds yearly, miss half their work or school days and face certain joint damage. Those on prophylaxis have an average of up to two bleeds yearly, attend 90 per cent of work/school, and maintain healthy joints. While prophylaxis costs more upfront, it’s actually cheaper in the long term when you factor in emergency care costs and lost productivity.

A smart future choice: Continuing with crisis care makes no economic sense. Every year of prophylaxis saves over 15 productive days per bleed. Early treatment prevents disabilities, which can cost the nation far more in welfare and lost productivity. India needs three urgent changes. First, include prophylaxis in all state health schemes. Second, negotiate bulk discounts to halve clotting factor costs. Third, train doctors and health workers to spot early signs, such as excessive bruising in toddlers.

‘Can be life-threatening’: Here’s what to do if your blood sugar is 370 mg/dL and higher

2025-04-30 - 2025-04

If your blood sugar levels are 370 mg/dL or higher, experts consider this a “warning sign” that you may need urgent care. “Such high levels can be an indication that your diabetes is not under control. This can be life-threatening. This can further lead to complications like a stroke, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), especially if you feel confused, tired, and nauseous,” said Dr Swarup Swaraj Pal, senior consultant cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, Gleneagles Hospitals Parel.

High sugar levels can be dangerous as they can damage your eyes, kidneys, and heart over time. Dr Narander Singla, lead consultant, internal medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, said levels above 250 mg/dL may lead to hyperglycemia requiring emergency medical care, while levels above 300 mg/dL can result in diabetic ketoacidosis—a potentially life-threatening condition.

Anaemia

2025-04-25 - 2025-04

Anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. It mainly affects women and children.

Anaemia occurs when there isn’t enough haemoglobin in the body to carry oxygen to the organs and tissues.

In severe cases, anaemia can cause poor cognitive and motor development in children. It can also cause problems for pregnant women and their babies.

Anaemia can be caused by poor nutrition, infections, chronic diseases, heavy menstruation, pregnancy issues and family history. It is often caused by a lack of iron in the blood.

Anaemia is preventable and treatable.

In many low- and lower-middle income settings, the most commonly- recognized causes of anaemia are iron deficiency and malaria.

Noida’s Child PGI plans drone-based blood transport pilot

2025-04-23 - 2025-04

The proposal, if approved, aims to address the persistent issue of timely blood availability in remote areas, especially for kids with serious blood disorders
As part of the proposed project, hospitals located within a 100-kilometre radius of the Child PGI will receive blood via drones. Currently, many families from rural areas have to travel long distances to reach Child PGI in Noida because local hospitals don’t always have blood when needed. This is a serious problem for children suffering from diseases like thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, who often need regular blood transfusions, said officials.

Dr Seema Dua, in charge of the blood bank at Child PGI, said that the project is currently in its preliminary stage. “We have submitted a proposal to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and are currently awaiting approval, including necessary funding and other support. Once we get the green signal, we plan to begin with a pilot phase where blood units will be delivered via drones to hospitals within a 100km radius,” she added.

Sickle cell experts worry as CDC’s Division of Blood Disorders staff put on leave

2025-04-19 - 2025-04

Sickle cell disease experts are worried that recent staffing changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will impact a program that collects data about the genetic disease and how it impacts more than 100,000 patients across the country.

In March, the Trump administration announced sweeping changes at the Department of Health and Human Services, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a public post, HHS said that the move will streamline the department’s processes and save taxpayers $1.8 billion per year through downsizing the department’s workforce.

“We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, according to the statement. “This Department will do more – a lot more – at a lower cost to the taxpayer.”

Nearly all of the staff at the Division of Blood Disorders and Public Health Genomics at the CDC were placed on administrative leave, according to the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation and experts familiar with the division’s staff.

Doctors and public health experts say the division oversees programs that more than one million people in the U.S. with inherited bleeding disorders like thrombosis, thrombophilia, hemophilia, sickle cell disease and thalassemia rely on. They said the abrupt changes to the division happened without clear communication regarding plans for the future of the division’s programs.

The American Society of Hematology and 95 national and state organizations representing patients sent a letter to the HHS secretary urging him to reinstate the Division of Blood Disorders and Public Health Genomics.

Supercharged mitochondria spark aging-related blood disorders

2025-04-17 - 2025-04

As we age, blood stem cells, the essential source of new blood cells in the body, can accumulate genetic mutations. These mutations can give the cells a growth advantage, laying the foundation for developing serious health conditions. Now, scientists at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) have not only discovered the mechanism that fuels their unchecked growth but have also found a way to stop it.
This mutation allows the cells to make copies of themselves more readily than normal and creates fertile ground for the development of clonal hematopoiesis, a condition that dramatically increases the risk of heart disease, blood cancers, and other illnesses.

Although clonal hematopoiesis develops silently with age—more than half of all 80-year-olds are estimated to be affected by the condition—the mutated blood stem cells can produce inflammatory molecules that disrupt blood production and weaken the immune system.

"This work gives us a new window into how and why blood stem cells change with age and how that sets up an increased risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease," said Trowbridge. "It also points toward a new opportunity to intervene and potentially prevent age-associated conditions not only in the blood but everywhere the blood touches."

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