An Update on the Activities of the International Society for Laboratory Hematology, 2025

Blood transfusion is a therapeutic measure to restore the blood volume after extensive blood loss due to an accident or a medical procedure. Blood transfusion involves drawing a certain amount of blood from a suitable donor and infusing it into the recipient.
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...

The process of blood cell formation is called hematopoiesis. Hematopoiesis starts early during development, on the seventh day of embryogenesis. This phase of hematopoiesis is called the primitive wave, wherein the extraembryonic yolk sac allows the production of erythroid cells and endothelial cells from a common precursor called hemangioblast. The erythroid cells provide oxygen to support the growth of the rapidly dividing embryo. Hemangioblasts later develop into hematopoietic stem cells or...

All blood and immune cells are produced from the multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by the process of hematopoiesis. However, they all have a limited life span. In addition, many are depleted in immune surveillance or combatting an injury or infection. This makes blood one of the most regenerative tissues. Hematopoiesis helps replenish these blood and immune cells, restoring the body's normal functioning. However, overproduction of blood and immune cells can make them cancerous or...

Hematopoiesis, or blood cell production, is a vital biological process that begins early in embryonic development and continues throughout life. This process generates the various types of cells found in blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
Developmental Phases of Hematopoiesis
Initially, HSCs are formed in the embryonic yolk sac, a critical site for early blood cell production. These stem cells subsequently migrate to other...

Hemoglobin is a globular protein made up of four subunits. Two of these subunits are alpha chains, and the other two are beta chains. Each subunit contains a molecule of heme, which has an iron atom and can bind to oxygen. When an oxygen molecule binds to one heme group, it changes the shape of hemoglobin, making it easier for the other heme groups to bind oxygen as well.
When all four heme groups are bound to oxygen, the resulting molecule is called oxyhemoglobin. As a result, arterial blood...

Bone marrow transplant is a potential cure for several diseases, including cancer and specific genetic disorders. Notably, this procedure is applicable for patients suffering from aplastic anemia, certain types of leukemia, severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, thalassemia, sickle-cell disease, and certain cancers.
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy the...