Exploring Clonal Hematopoiesis and Its Impact on Aging, Cancer, and Patient Care

“Understanding the influence of prior treatments on CH [clonal hematopoiesis] dynamics is crucial for comprehending the intricate interplay between therapy, aging, and cancer.”

BUFFALO, NY- January 10, 2024 – A new editorial paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as “Aging (Albany NY)” and “Aging-US” by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 24, entitled, “Exploring clonal hematopoiesis and its impact on aging, cancer, and patient care.”

In this new editorial, researchers Julieta Elena Rodriguez, Jean Baptiste Micol and Capucine Baldini from Gustave Roussy discuss clonal hematopoiesis. Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is a term that refers to the presence in blood cells of hematologic malignancy-associated somatic mutations without fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of hematologic disease. Emerging evidence suggests that CH is a consequence of an expansion of cells harboring initiating driver mutations, potentially linked to the aging hematopoietic system. 

While these detectable somatic mutations are rare in individuals under 40 years old, they become increasingly prevalent in the elderly population, a term called age-related clonal hematopoiesis (ARCH), reaching up to 18.4% in those aged 90 years or older. Aging itself is a significant stressor associated with CH, particularly in individuals over 70 years old. DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1 mutations are more common with advancing age. 

“Recent evidence also indicates that CH may play a role in solid tumors, such as an increased risk of incident lung cancer [4]. While initial studies associated CH mutations with worse survival outcomes [5], newer findings suggest that solid tumor patients with CH may experience longer survival [6]. However, the underlying mechanisms behind this relationship remain to be elucidated.”

Read the full paper: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.205404 

Corresponding Author: Capucine Baldini

Corresponding Email: [email protected] 

Keywords: clonal hematopoiesis, aging, solid tumors

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About Aging: Launched in 2009, Aging (Aging-US) publishes papers of general interest and biological significance in all fields of aging research and age-related diseases, including cancer—and now, with a special focus on COVID-19 vulnerability as an age-dependent syndrome. Topics in Aging go beyond traditional gerontology, including, but not limited to, cellular and molecular biology, human age-related diseases, pathology in model organisms, signal transduction pathways (e.g., p53, sirtuins, and PI-3K/AKT/mTOR, among others), and approaches to modulating these signaling pathways.

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