Omidubicel vs standard umbilical cord blood transplant, CAR T-cell associated lymphomas, and CD63 and ferritin export

In this week’s episode, we’ll review results of a phase 3 randomized study demonstrating shorter time to neutrophil and platelet recovery with an ex vivo expanded hematopoietic progenitor cell product called omidubicel as compared to standard umbilical cord transplantation. Next, we’ll look at preliminary data on the development of lymphomas originating from piggyBac-modified CD19 CAR T-cells, sounding a note of caution for researchers exploring new gene modification methodologies for CAR T-cell production. We’ll conclude with a report suggesting that the vesicular protein CD63 may orchestrate the transfer of iron-rich ferritin among cells.