T-cell lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, presents significant treatment challenges due to its diverse subtypes and aggressive progression. Jasmine Zain, MD, drawing on her expertise in chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T-cell therapies, is focused on expanding therapeutic options for T-cell lymphomas, particularly peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). A critical aspect of treatment development involves recognizing that the subtypes of nodal PTCL are defined by specific genetic pathways, which determine their response to different therapies. This insight has led to the development of more personalized, subtype-specific treatment strategies. Current treatment approaches for PTCL typically involve combinations of chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and stem cell transplantation. The standard first-line therapy, CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), has relatively low response rates, highlighting the need for more effective alternatives. While stem cell transplantation is beneficial for certain PTCL subtypes, overall outcomes remain inconsistent. Some targeted therapies have shown efficacy in specific subtypes, but many forms of PTCL are still resistant to available treatments, underscoring the need for further research. In cases of relapsed/refractory disease, stem cell transplantation remains the primary treatment option, though it is associated with significant risks and often impacts patients’ quality of life. There is a pressing need for new, less toxic therapies. Several targeted drugs are currently in clinical trials, with the goal of improving treatment options for patients with relapsed/refractory PTCL. Ongoing research into the genetic and molecular characteristics of PTCL aims to develop more individualized therapies that are better suited to each patient’s specific disease profile, offering hope for improved outcomes in this challenging lymphoma subtype.

PURPOSE: Social media informs 77% of patients with cancer, yet one third of posts contain misinformation. MedNews Week (MNW) is a volunteer virtual platform that delivers expert hematology-oncology content while intentionally pursuing gender balance. METHODS: We analyzed program metrics (January 2022-June 2023) for 36 biweekly keynotes by oncology leaders (mean H-index 50.1). Aggregated audience demographics and engagement data were exported from X (Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, and Clubhouse. Unique reach, geographic distribution, and growth were calculated after deduplicating cross-platform IDs. Attendance and engagement were compared by speaker gender with χ ² tests and linear regression. RESULTS: MNW reached 743,991 unique viewers across 95 countries, including 23 low- and middle-income nations, and rose 10.5-fold in attendance over 18 months. Speakers achieved gender parity (18 women, 18 men); female-led sessions drew similar live attendance and video views ( P = .41). MNW ranks in the top 0.07 percentile for health care influence on X. Participants included clinicians (40%), patients/advocates (22%), students (18%), and nonmedical stakeholders (20%). CONCLUSION: A no-cost, volunteer, gender-balanced platform can rapidly scale credible oncology education worldwide, counter misinformation, and engage under-resourced audiences. Sustained partnerships and outcome assessments are warranted.

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) exhibit profound immune dysregulation, predisposing them to severe outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Current evidence highlights shared immunopathological mechanisms linking MM and COVID-19, with particular emphasis on the interleukin-6 (IL-6) axis as a shared amplifier of inflammation rather than the sole driver of disease. MM is characterized by a baseline pro-inflammatory milieu, in part mediated by IL-6, which is further amplified during SARS-CoV-2 infection, resulting in cytokine escalation, complement activation, coagulopathy, and multi-organ injury. This amplification operates within a broader, redundant network that also includes T-cell exhaustion, NK-cell dysfunction, checkpoint signaling, complement and endothelial injury, and treatment-induced immune defects. This overlap provides a mechanistic basis for the disproportionately high morbidity and mortality observed in this population. Even with advancements in vaccination, antiviral therapy, and clinical practice, patients with MM who exhibit impaired vaccine responses, active disease, or treatment-related immune dysfunction continue to experience considerable vulnerability to COVID-19. In addition, MM patients demonstrate suboptimal vaccine-induced immune responses, contributing to persistent vulnerability to severe and breakthrough infections. Modern MM therapies, including anti-CD38 antibodies, BCMA-directed agents, and bispecific T-cell redirecting antibodies, further reshape antiviral immunity by reducing NK cells, inducing plasma cell aplasia, causing hypogammaglobulinemia, and impairing T-cell function. Emerging treatment approaches targeting this shared pathway have been explored, with a focus on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs exhibit multimodal properties, including suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, restoration of immune homeostasis, inhibition of viral entry, and promotion of tissue repair and regeneration. Early clinical experience in severe COVID-19 populations suggests a favorable short-term safety profile; reported efficacy, however, derives from small, largely uncontrolled or early-phase studies, and the single randomized trial reporting a mortality benefit did so only in an exploratory post hoc subgroup, with its pre-specified primary endpoint not met. Overall, EVs constitute a biologically plausible but as yet unproven adjunctive strategy that warrants further investigation. Critically, no MM patient has ever been enrolled in an EV trial; current rationale for EV use in MM is therefore extrapolated entirely from non-MM populations, and no MM-specific data exist. Difficulties such as EV heterogeneity, manufacturing variability, uncertain pharmacokinetics, limited targeting efficiency, and potential prothrombotic effects must be resolved before their application in MM-specific clinical settings.