About this Research Topic
Building on the success of Transfusion Medicine and Blood, we are pleased to relaunch Volume II of this Research Topic.
Transfusion medicine represents one of the few practices that affects practically all specialties in medicine. Transfusion of blood or its components though it has been used for generations to improve the survival and outcome of patients, has gained increased momentum as a field of active scientific investigation. This is because evidence that the transfusion of blood or its components, due to transfer of cells from donor to recipient, can be seen as analogous to tissue transplantation. This could explain those unforeseen adverse events associated with transfusions such as immune reactions to the component transfused to higher alloimmunization rates to donor antigens. As a result, the field has moved from being driven by practice to a structured evidence-based one. In this regard, the last two decades, with the growth of hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplantations, have resulted in an even greater interest by practitioners to expand understanding of the effects of transfusion. This has occurred in the setting of decreased donations, made worse by a global pandemic, creating stress in the procurement and delivery of blood components. Likewise, with the advent of pathogen reduction methodologies that have potentially made transfusions of platelets safer brings further opportunities for research in the field.
It is in the midst of these developments that this second volume of the Transfusion Medicine issue will invite original contributions describing new developments in donor screenings, testing, challenges facing the field, new discoveries in both basic science and clinical research in topics related to blood components and transfusion medicine in general. Likewise, reviews describing areas of interest covering transfusion medicine are also welcome. Case reports will be considered if the description involves significant findings to merit publication or if a concise review of the topic involving the case is included. These will be considered upon the consensus and discretion of the Editors of the special topic.
Transfusion medicine represents one of the few practices that affects practically all specialties in medicine. Transfusion of blood or its components though it has been used for generations to improve the survival and outcome of patients, has gained increased momentum as a field of active scientific investigation. This is because evidence that the transfusion of blood or its components, due to transfer of cells from donor to recipient, can be seen as analogous to tissue transplantation. This could explain those unforeseen adverse events associated with transfusions such as immune reactions to the component transfused to higher alloimmunization rates to donor antigens. As a result, the field has moved from being driven by practice to a structured evidence-based one. In this regard, the last two decades, with the growth of hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplantations, have resulted in an even greater interest by practitioners to expand understanding of the effects of transfusion. This has occurred in the setting of decreased donations, made worse by a global pandemic, creating stress in the procurement and delivery of blood components. Likewise, with the advent of pathogen reduction methodologies that have potentially made transfusions of platelets safer brings further opportunities for research in the field.
It is in the midst of these developments that this second volume of the Transfusion Medicine issue will invite original contributions describing new developments in donor screenings, testing, challenges facing the field, new discoveries in both basic science and clinical research in topics related to blood components and transfusion medicine in general. Likewise, reviews describing areas of interest covering transfusion medicine are also welcome. Case reports will be considered if the description involves significant findings to merit publication or if a concise review of the topic involving the case is included. These will be considered upon the consensus and discretion of the Editors of the special topic.
Keywords: Blood, donors, hematology, transfusion medicine, blood component, alloimmunization, transfusion support
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
