The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) has published a special supplemental issue of its peer-reviewed journal, TRANSFUSION, focused on biotherapies.
The supplement reflects AABB's expanding role in biotherapies and the connections between transfusion medicine and the advancement of these therapies.
The August supplement will be made freely accessible for 24 months following publication.
The publication is supported by Vitalant, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organisations, and reflects growing coordination between transfusion medicine and advanced therapies as healthcare organisations prepare for broader clinical adoption of cell and gene therapies.
The supplement is intended to support education, operational readiness and cross-disciplinary collaboration across the field.
The issue brings together expert perspectives on community-based cell therapy manufacturing, novel applications of cord blood, ex vivo cellular therapy manufacturing and genetic modification, pharmacy integration, accreditation, artificial intelligence and global standardisation in biotherapies.
While TRANSFUSION has long published work on biotherapies – particularly blood-based therapies – this supplement marks a focused effort to examine the broader biotherapies landscape and where transfusion medicine intersects with it.
Several articles in the supplement were contributed by key opinion leaders from Vitalant, reflecting the organisation's commitment to advancing education and best practice across the field.
Featured articles include an article from Vitalant's Kevin Land, M.D., and New York Blood Center's Eric Gehrie, M.D., examining the evolving role of transfusion medicine in advanced cellular therapies and a Vitalant-authored piece exploring how AI and informatics are reshaping biotherapies.
Additional contributions explore the growing importance of pharmacy integration in cell and gene therapy delivery, alongside the role of accreditation in supporting quality community-based biotherapy programmes.
"Biotherapies represent one of the most significant areas of growth and innovation in healthcare today," said Jeff Wren, Vice President of Biotherapies at AABB.
"This supplement reflects AABB's expanding role in biotherapies and the part that transfusion medicine, blood centers, and hospitals can play in supporting the future development and delivery of these therapies. Our goal is to provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge, experience, and best practices as the field continues to mature."
"In a quickly changing environment, AABB's critical role has been to provide a convening space where science, practical application, and patient care come together to improve decisions across the field," said Becky Cap, Senior Vice President of Biotherapies at Vitalant.
"We supported this supplement because we recognised the importance of educating not just the AABB community but the broader biotherapies space about the growing connection between transfusion medicine and advanced therapies."
