Oriol Alejo-Valle’s work was published as Plenary Paper in BLOOD. Our article describes the molecular basis for the dual differentiation block in megkaryoblastic leukemia associated with trisomy 21. Moreover, our team found with ARID3A a new regulator of megakaryopoiesis that is deregulated in megkaryoblastic leukemia.

In the accompanying editorial, Justin C. Wheat, Ulrich Steidl from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine–Montefiore Health System, highlight that our “..work has also opened the door to multiple new areas of inquiry in normal megakaryopoiesis and AMKL pathogenesis, as well as solidified the potent role that miRNAs can play in shaping cellular fates. This study represents a significant step in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of megakaryoblastic leukemia and will hopefully translate into better more targeted therapeutics for treating these aggressive malignancies.