ASH December 2024

I had always heard great things about the American Society of Haematology (ASH) annual scientific meeting. Colleagues had told me about the groundbreaking plenary where the initial clinical data on CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing for sickle cell disorder and thalassemia was presented - eliciting audible gasps from the audience. They also raved about the incredible social side of the conference. So, as you can imagine, I was over the moon when my poster presenting data on parvovirus b19 cases in red cell disorders in 2023-2024, was accepted. This gave me the opportunity to attend the 2024 conference with my colleague and good friend Ethan. Escaping the dreary December weather in London for sunny San Diego was an added bonus!

We arrived in San Diego on Friday night and met up with some colleagues from HaemStar for spicy margaritas and some excellent pizza. By Saturday morning, after fuelling up on car park tacos, we were ready to dive into the conference. To say I was overwhelmed by the scale of ASH would be an understatement—who knew there were so many hematologists in the world? By the end of day one, however, I felt a renewed sense of hope for new therapies in sickle cell disorder, particularly considering the recent withdrawal of Voxelotor and Crizanlizumab.

Some of the standout moments for me included oral presentations on gene editing technology, which has already had a transformative impact on patients' lives. The technology is becoming more refined, with exciting lab progress, such as in vivo gene editing using a lipid nanoparticle delivery system to target the haematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. There were also promising phase 2 trial results on the use of hydroxycarbamide for patients with the HbSC genotype, as well as new data on PK activators. The conference left me extremely hopeful that a broader range of therapies will soon be available for sickle cell patients. Of course, ASH also provided the perfect opportunity to network with colleagues from around the world—and to enjoy the incredible Mexican food in San Diego!

On our last day, Ethan and I had a bit of downtime, so we headed to La Jolla Beach, where we saw dolphins swimming offshore and countless leopard sharks in the shallows. We then visited the world-famous San Diego Zoo—an absolute must for anyone planning a trip to the city, shout out to the pandas Xin Bao and Yun Chuan who put on absolute show for us.

All in all, ASH was an unforgettable experience, combining cutting-edge science, invaluable networking, and a taste of the vibrant culture and cuisine of San Diego. I can’t wait for the next one!