Demands for preserved blood and blood transfusions in planned operations

An analysis is described which deals with the relation existing between those amounts of stored blood which are demanded and used in serological cross tests on the one hand and that transfused stored blood used in operations which can be planned in selected clinics on the other hand by accounting for the demanding parameters of 3 stored blood items and less and 4 stored blood items and more.     

Potential blood biomarkers for stroke

Stroke is one of the most common causes of death worldwide and a major cause of acquired disability in adults. Despite advances in research during the last decade, prevention and treatment strategies still suffer from significant limitations, and therefore new theoretical and technical approaches are required. Technological advances in the proteomic and metabolomic areas, during recent years, have permitted a more effective search for novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets that may allow for effective risk stratification and early diagnosis with subsequent rapid treatment. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest candidate proteins and metabolites proposed as new potential biomarkers in stroke.     

Gene therapy for blood diseases

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Future prospects for artificial blood

Concern about potential infective agents in donated blood has stimulated the recent development of blood substitutes. Chemically cross-linked hemoglobins are already undergoing clinical trials and might soon be ready for routine use. New generations of modified hemoglobin are being prepared to modulate the effects of nitric oxide and oxygen radicals, and artificial red blood cells are also under development.     

Cord blood for tissue regeneration

Umbilical cord blood (CB) has become a commonly accepted source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation in children and adults. It is readily available and outperforms bone marrow (BM) as well as peripheral blood stem cells in terms of tolerance for HLA‐mismatches between donor and recipient and its decreased graft‐versus‐host disease. Clinical use has been expanded from hematological malignancies to various areas such as treatment of metabolic genetic disorders or to induce angiogenesis. For the last years CB has been under intense experimental investigation in in vitro differentiation models as well as in preclinical animal models. Since CB‐derived stem cells offer multiple advantages over adult stem cells from other sources like BM, CB may provide a future source of stem cells for tissue repair and regeneration. To facilitate the use of CB‐derived stem cells in clinical scenarios, the biology of these cells needs to be further explored in detail particularly with regard to the fact that different non‐hematopoietic stem cell populations occur within CB. Here we explore the most consistent and the most contradictory data referring to the differentiation potential of CB‐derived stem cells and give an outlook on their potential clinical value including and possible reprogramming into IPS cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 762–768, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.