From omics technologies to personalized transfusion medicine

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Transfusion Medicine
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Blood transfusion is a frequent, life-saving procedure.
• Blood bank storage enables the availability of ~110 million units annually.
• Storage induces biochemical and morphological changes in red blood cells, termed the storage lesion, impacting function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advancements in understanding the red blood cell storage lesion.
• To highlight the impact of omics technologies on red blood cell storage biology.
• To explore the role of biological variability in donor and recipient levels.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent advancements.
• Focus on omics technologies (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.).
• Analysis of biological variability at donor and recipient levels.

Main Results:

• Omics technologies provide a deeper understanding of the red blood cell storage lesion.
• Biological variability significantly impacts red blood cell storage outcomes.
• Current research is elucidating the complex changes occurring during storage.

Conclusions:

• Omics technologies are crucial for understanding red blood cell storage.
• This understanding is driving the development of personalized transfusion medicine.
• Future strategies may involve recipient-tailored approaches for blood processing and storage.