VJHemOnc Podcast

Dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapies in LBCL: efficacy, safety, and bridging therapy

This VJHemOnc podcast features a roundtable discussion from the 8th International Workshop on CAR-T and Bispecifics (iwCAR-T) 2026 on the evolving role of dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapies in large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Gloria Iacoboni, MD, PhD, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain, is joined by Saurabh Dahiya, MD, FACP, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, Nirav Niranjan Shah, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, Krish Patel, MD, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, and Akil Merchant, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, to discuss recent trial updates evaluating dual-targeting CAR constructs in LBCL.

The discussion highlights efficacy and safety outcomes, as well as key challenges in clinical practice, including rapid manufacturing, the role of bridging therapy, toxicity management, and optimizing patient selection. The panel also reflects on the importance of interpreting CAR T-cell trial results within the context of differing study designs and inclusion criteria.

Advances in gene-based therapies for SCD and thalassemia: access, outcomes & innovation

This VJHemOnc podcast explores the latest advances in gene-based therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassemia, highlighting progress in patient access, selection, treatment delivery, and clinical outcomes. Sunil Gupta, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, MBA, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, London, UK, discusses expanding access to gene therapy for patients with SCD, while Alexander Ngwube, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, shares insights into real-world patient selection and decision-making.

Rabi Hanna, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, outlines key considerations for selecting patients with SCD and thalassemia for gene therapy, discusses strategies to optimize the treatment pathway from stem cell mobilization to long-term follow-up, and reviews results from the RUBY trial (NCT04853576) of gene editing therapy in severe SCD. Zachary Crees, MD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, also highlights emerging mobilization approaches, including motixafortide-based strategies to improve stem cell collection for gene therapy.

The evolving role of BTK inhibitors in CLL

 

Adverse events in the post-CAR T-cell therapy setting: infections, less common toxicities, and advice for physicians

In this episode of the podcast, we focus on adverse events (AEs) and toxicities in the post-CAR T-cell therapy setting. First, Marion Subklewe, MD, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany, outlines the main factors contributing to the observed reduction in the incidence of higher-grade CRS and ICANS following CAR-T. Following this, Eleftheria Kampouri, MD, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, shares insight into infection prevention and antibiotic use in febrile patients, and Birte Friedrichs, MD, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany, discusses the misconception among physicians that the side effects of CAR-T are too severe for their patients, noting the potential impact of this belief. You will then hear from Megan Melody, MD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, who shares advice for community physicians monitoring patients for less common toxicities following CAR-T, and Kenneth Lim, MBBS, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, who highlights AEs that physicians should be aware of when treating patients with multiple myeloma with ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel).

The evolving treatment landscape in MCL: chemo-free strategies, BTK inhibitors, and changing standards of care

This VJHemOnc episode explores major shifts in frontline mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) care, highlighting the move from traditional chemotherapy to chemo‑free regimens and the growing role of BTK inhibitors.

Michael Wang, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, outlines the importance of frontline treatment in achieving long-term disease control. You will also hear from David Lewis, MBChB, PhD, FRCPath, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK, Tycel Phillips, MD, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, and Krish Patel, MD, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, who share perspectives on patient selection for therapy, biological risk factors, and how treatment decisions differ between academic and community settings.

Advances in stem cell transplantation from EBMT 2026: managing GvHD, donor selection & evolving clinical strategies

This episode reviews major advances presented at the EBMT 2026 meeting in Madrid, covering novel treatments for acute and chronic GVHD, including a promising microbiome-based therapy, and new targeted agents.

Experts discuss the growing importance of donor germline genetics, updated guidance for Hodgkin lymphoma transplantation, the shifting role of CAR T‑cell therapy in non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, and how measurable residual disease (MRD) is shaping transplant decisions and post‑transplant care.

Overall, the episode highlights how these developments are improving personalization and outcomes in haemopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Myeloid Monthly: breaking news & updates from the classification advancement meeting

This VJHemOnc podcast introduces the first edition of Myeloid Monthly, focusing on key developments in myeloid malignancies. Amer Zeidan, MD, Yale University, New Haven, CT, is joined by Robert Hasserjian, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, and Sanam Loghavi, MD, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, to discuss breaking updates from the Classification Advancement Meeting (CAM), held in Chicago in March 2026.

The panel explores the evolving classification of myeloid neoplasms, including the shift from morphology to molecular genetics, key differences between the WHO and ICC systems, and areas of ongoing debate such as MDS, AML, and overlap syndromes. They also discuss the process of harmonising these frameworks, the clinical implications for diagnosis, trial design, and patient care, and how CAM recommendations are expected to inform a future unified WHO classification.

How AI is transforming hematologic oncology

This VJHemOnc podcast explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming hematologic oncology, from clinical research and diagnostics to risk prediction and therapy development. Aaron Gerds, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, discusses AI-driven approaches to improving clinical trial enrollment, while Stephen Ansell, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, highlights advances in AI-based pathology for lymphoma classification.

Ciara Freeman, MD, PhD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, examines multimodal AI for predicting CAR T-cell outcomes, while Zinaida Good, PhD, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, and Andrea Schmidts, MD, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, explore AI applications in CAR T-cell design. Gianluca Asti, MSc, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy, discusses federated learning for data sharing, and Amin Turki, MD, PhD, Ruhr-University Hospital Bochum and University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany, highlights challenges in real-world AI implementation.

MRD in ALL and AML: from prognostic marker to clinical endpoint

This VJHemOnc podcast explores the evolving role of measurable residual disease (MRD) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), from prognostic marker to clinical endpoint. Harry Erba, MD, PhD, Duke University, Durham, NC, discusses the potential of MRD as a surrogate endpoint in AML, while Bruno Paiva, PhD, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, presents supporting evidence from large registry analyses.

Amin Turki, MD, PhD, Ruhr-University Hospital Bochum and University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany, highlights the integration of MRD into risk stratification, while Wendy Stock, MD, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, reviews MRD detection methods, emerging technologies, and practical implementation in ALL.

Nursing in CAR-T & cellular therapy: updates and insights from the EBMT-EHA CAR T-cell Meeting 2026

Nurses play a key role in the CAR T-cell therapy process. In this podcast episode, you will hear insights into nursing in CAR-T and cellular therapy through exclusive interviews from the recent EBMT-EHA 8th European CAR T-cell Meeting. 

 

First, Erik Aerts, RN, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, will walk through the CAR T-cell process from a nursing perspective, and Mairéad Ní Chonghaile, RGN, BNS, MSc, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, will emphasize the importance of a true collaborative approach to care in the CAR-T process and discuss how to appropriately address fears or misconceptions patients may have. You will then hear from Thomas Jezequel, MSc, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France, who will comment on the role of social media in a patient’s CAR T-cell therapy journey and share messages for young nurses in the cellular therapy space. Finally, Jemma Stewart, nurse educator, and Ella Weisser, clinical nurse specialist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia, will provide insight into the recommended frequency of Immune Effector Cell-Associated Encephalopathy (ICE) assessment in patients receiving CAR-T.