Vida Zhang Presents at American Society of Hematology Meetings 2025
Podium Presentation Receives an ASH Award for Top-Scoring Abstracts
In her podium presentation “Therapeutic effects of Tmprss6 suppression are negated by ERFE and iron overload in a mouse model of beta-thalassemia” with coauthors Barrett, Nemeth and Ganz, Dr. Zhang reported on her studies of the mechanisms responsible for the lack of efficacy of Tmprss6 antisense nucleotides (Tmprss6 ASO, sapablursen, Ionis Pharma) in patients with nontransfusion-dependent β-thalassemia. Unlike in patients with polycythemia vera, Sapablursen did not increase hepcidin, cause iron restriction or improve outcomes. Based on her work in mouse models, Dr. Zhang proposed iron overload and high levels of erythroferrone as causes of the resistance to the effect of Tmprss6 ASO. The presentation was selected for an ASH Award given to top-scoring abstracts.
