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Vox Sanguinis highlights
Fresh from the press
Editorial
Celebrating 70 years of Vox Sanguinis
"Seventy years ago, the founders of this journal envisioned a platform that would elevate the science and practice of blood transfusion. Today, that vision stands fulfilled—and continues to evolve. The journal's legacy is measured not only in citations but in the countless lives saved by its contributions. As we celebrate this anniversary, we honour the past, embrace the present and look forward to a future where transfusion medicine remains at the forefront of compassionate, evidence-based care.
To every author, reviewer, editor and reader who has been part of this journey, thank you very much for sustaining a tradition of excellence that, like probably no other area of knowledge of medicine, contributes to saving lives every day around the globe."
Miquel Lozano
Editor-in-Chief of Vox Sanguinis
Nazlı Nadire Sözmen, Şükrü Çağlak, Eda Çetiner, Şenay Canpolat, Cihan Akyüz, Levent Sağdur, Soner Yılmaz, Fatma Meriç Yılmaz
Article Highlights:
- The Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) successfully maintained the national blood supply during the 2023 Turkey earthquake despite severe infrastructure damage.
- Strategic donor management and inter-regional blood redistribution were essential in meeting increased transfusion demands.
- Lessons learned highlight the need for enhanced data interoperability and preparedness strategies for future large-scale emergencies.
First published: 6 January 2026
Ivanka Batarilo, Mia Slade-Vitkovic, Lidija Rukavina, Jadranka Gulan Harcet, Julijana Ljubicic, Adrijana Grdic, Marko Karlo Radovcic, Matea Vinkovic, Irena Jukic, Tomislav Vuk
Article Highlights:
- Active bacterial screening of blood components is an important safety measure reducing risks of transfusion-transmitted bacterial infection.
- The incidence of bacterial contamination at Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine was found to consistent with that reported in the previous literature.
- Skin commensals (primarily Cutibacterium acnes) are the most frequently detected bacteria in contaminated blood components.
First published: 4 January 2026
Torunn Oveland Apelseth, Ólafur Eysteinn Sigurjónsson, Barry Doyle, Ryan Evans, Chloe George, Wiebke Handke, Catherine Humbrecht, Tome Najdovski, Peter O'Leary, Michael Wiltshire, Thomas lei, European Blood Alliance Working Group on Innovations and New Products
Article Highlights:
- There is a need for practical guidance for blood providers on how to implement a whole blood programme.
- The review summarizes recommendations and practical implications identified from the published literature, regulatory requirements and current programmes.
- Whole blood programmes for the routine and emergency management of patients with severe bleeding can be implemented in a structured and sustainable way.
First published: 1 January 2026
Amit Ghosh, Satya Prakash, Sheetal Kiran, Potnuru Gouri Shankar Das, Somnath Mukherjee, Sweta Singh, Gaurav Chhabra
Article Highlights:
- Cord blood contains an array of microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate gamma globulin expression. However, the presence of miRNAs involved in the regulation of fetal haemoglobin expression in exosomes from cord blood has not yet been reported.
- The percentage of increased fetal haemoglobin correlates with a lower incidence of crisis in patients with haemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease (SCD).
- This study found the presence of potential miRNAs in cord blood exosomes regulating fetal haemoglobin (HbF) level in cord blood. This finding may serve as the basis for future studies using these miRNAs to reactivate HbF expression in SCD and thalassaemia.
First published: 1 January 2026
