Measurable residual disease (MRD) monitoring has become a cornerstone of risk stratification and treatment decision-making in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The clinical value of MRD data depends entirely on the accuracy, sensitivity, and comparability of the measurements across laboratories and treatment protocols. Since 2001, EuroMRD has provided the international framework for that comparability — through standardized guidelines, biannual quality assessment programs, and a global network of expert MRD-PCR laboratories.

EuroMRD in numbers:

• 69 MRD-PCR laboratories across 26 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas
• Active since 2001, with origins in the EU BIOMED-1 Concerted Action and the International BFM Study Group
• Biannual quality assessment rounds covering ALL (IG/TCR, KMT2A), NHL (BCL1/2, IGH), and Ph+ALL (BCR-ABL) MRD targets
• Guidelines cited and applied in major international ALL treatment protocols
• Published guidelines updated in 2024 (Van der Velden et al., Leukemia 2024)

Scientific Context

EuroMRD guidelines and quality assessment programs are used by clinical trial groups and national treatment protocols across four continents. By ensuring that an MRD result generated in one participating laboratory is directly comparable to results from any other, EuroMRD enables MRD to function as a reliable primary endpoint in clinical trials evaluating new drugs and treatment strategies, including those incorporating immunotherapy, targeted agents, and cellular therapies.

ESLHO, together with the independent scientific foundations EuroFlow, EuroClonality and EuroMRD, is an official EHA Specialized Working Group (SWG).