The last issue of the Hematological Oncology Journal (February 2020) publishes an article that summarizes the first Symposium of the Josep Carreras Research Institute: Genetics and Epigenetics of Leukemia and Lymphoma: From Knowledge to Applications, that took place on the 19th and 20th of September 2019.

The program of the Symposium featured 20 keynote presentations, nine short talks, and 30 posters, which represented the status quo of current research in genetics and epigenetics of malignant hemopathies.

One in eight cases of cancer in the world arises from blood cells, the lymphatic system, or bone marrow. What differentiates one type of malignant hemopathy, such as leukemia or lymphomas, from another? What explains the high heterogeneity among the more than a hundred subtypes of these diseases, with very different survival rates?

These questions were debated during the Symposium, a meeting that brought together leading scientists and clinicians in the field of Leukemia and Lymphoma.

The event highlighted the latest advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving blood cancers, bringing to discuss how this knowledge can translate into improved management of these diseases.

The article of Hematological Oncology resumes de recent research advances in Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, and basic research, with special emphasis on the role of genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity and the exploitation of epigenetic regulation for developing biomarkers and novel treatment approaches.