Pembrolizumab after ASCT in PTCL, germline predisposition to myeloid neoplasms in patients with hypoplastic bone marrow, and limited plasticity of monocyte fate and function

In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss pembrolizumab after autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Newly reported phase 2 study results show that blocking PD-1 with pembrolizumab had a favorable safety profile and demonstrated promising activity, supporting further confirmatory studies in this setting; germline genetic predisposition to myeloid neoplasms in patients with hypoplastic bone marrow. Researchers report mutations that are significantly associated with cytopenias in adulthood in these patients. And pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were linked to severe cytopenias and advanced myeloid malignancies; and finally, if monocytes and their descendants are less plastic than previously thought. Investigators have identified four functionally specialized monocyte subsets that derive from specific myeloid progenitor lineages. They show that the fate of these monocyte subsets is epigenetically scripted, with little flexibility after differentiation begins, even under conditions of stress.