Guideline Review: European Association for the Study of Liver (EASL) Clinical Practice Guidelines on Haemochromatosis.

The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) has recently (June 2022) produced new clinical practice guidelines for the investigation and management of haemochromatosis, to replace the previous document published in 2010. Here, we provide an overview of the principal changes recommended for the investigation and management of haemochromatosis arising from these guidelines and highlight particular areas where evidence is lacking and where future focus on specific research would improve patient treatment and outcomes. The guideline provides several important new recommendations that will have a meaningful impact on patient management.

Effect of cloretazine (VNP40101M) on acute myeloid leukaemia blast cells in vitro as a single agent and combined with cytarabine and daunorubicin.

We have investigated the effect of cloretazine (VNP40101M or Laromustine), a novel sulfonylhydrazine alkylating agent with significant antileukaemic activity, alone, or combined with cytarabine or daunorubicin, on the proliferation, viability and apoptosis of cell lines and acute myeloid leukaemia blast cells in vitro. Cloretazine alone induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of proliferation, reduction in cell viability and an increase in apoptosis in all samples tested. Combinations of cloretazine with varying concentrations of cytarabine or daunorubicin further enhanced these inhibitory effects, suggesting VNP40101M may have a role in combined low dose chemotherapy regimes especially in the elderly.