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 haematopoiesis and its impact on ageing, cancer, and patient care.”

In this new editorial, researchers Julieta Elena Rodriguez, Jean Baptiste Micol and Capucine Baldini from Gustave Roussy discuss clonal haematopoiesis.

Clonal haematopoiesis (CH) is a term that refers to the presence in blood cells of haematologic malignancy-associated somatic mutations without fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of haematologic disease.

Emerging evidence suggests that CH is a consequence of an expansion of cells harbouring initiating driver mutations, potentially linked to the ageing haematopoietic 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 haematopoiesis (ARCH), reaching up to 18.4% in those aged 90 years or older.

Ageing 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 tumours, such as an increased risk of incident lung cancer. While initial studies associated CH mutations with worse survival outcomes, newer findings suggest that solid tumour patients with CH may experience longer survival. However, the underlying mechanisms behind this relationship remain to be elucidated.”

Source: Impact Journals LLC