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Review

MicroRNA profiles as quality biomarkers in stored blood components: A narrative review

Open access

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Swastik Kumar Patel, Rinki Baghel

Article Highlights:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) (miR-96, miR-451a, miR-127/miR-320a ratio) serve as sensitive molecular biomarkers for monitoring quality deterioration in stored red blood cells and platelet concentrates, offering superior insight compared to conventional quality indicators.
  • Extracellular vesicle-associated miRNAs, particularly exosomal miR-451a, accumulate during storage and mediate transfusion-related immunomodulation, with potential implications for recipient immune response and clinical outcomes.
  • Integration of miRNA profiling with multi-omics approaches and machine learning algorithms represents the most promising strategy for developing comprehensive, next-generation blood component quality assessment systems for routine blood bank use.

First published: 21 July 2026

Original article

HIV incidence and correlates of incident infection among Brazilian blood donors following adoption of individual donor assessment

Open access

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Renata Buccheri, Eduard Grebe, Donald E. Warden, Carolina Miranda, Ligia Capuani, Cecilia S. Alencar, Luiz Amorim, Cesar de Almeida-Neto, Maisa Ribeiro, Paula Loureiro, Nelson Fraiji, Clara Di Germanio, Leilani Montalvo, Jennifer Leddy, Mars Stone, Ester C. Sabino, Brian Custer, the Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-IV-Pediatric (REDS-IV-P)

Article Highlights:

  • HIV incidence remained stable among blood donors after Brazil adopted individual donor assessment. Risk patterns for incident HIV infection among donors mirrored national disparities, with higher incidence among young, male and Black or Pardo (multiracial) individuals. Centre-specific variation and persistent challenges in HIV epidemiology highlight the need for strengthened donor education and ongoing monitoring.

First published: 20 July 2026

Original article

Comparing the volume of umbilical cord blood collection using different techniques

Open access

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Jip H. van Daelen, Valeria Cortesi, Lianne I. Verbeek, Sophie J. E. Cramer, Elise J. Huisman, Thomas R. L. Klei, Irwin K. M. Reiss, Pauline M. Snijder, Enrico Lopriore

Article Highlights:

  • Ex utero collections using a plateau yielded the highest umbilical cord blood (UCB) collection volumes.
  • Collection technique, birth weight and operator experience were key determinants of UCB yield.
  • We observed a learning-curve effect, underscoring the importance of dedicated teams to maximize UCB collection efficiency.

First published: 20 July 2026

Original article

Red cell alloantibodies in 71,525 Malaysian blood donations: Predominance of anti-Mia reflects GP.Mur-associated antigenic diversity

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Christina Lai Ling Lee, Muhammad Amir Rasyid Ahmad Makmom, Jun Fai Yap, Zhuo Lin Chong, Norliza Mustafa, Shi Ya Chang, Mohammad Izzad Bin Ishak

Article Highlights:

  • Alloantibody prevalence was low at 0.4% among 71,525 Malaysian donations, with anti-Mia comprising 72.1% of clinically significant antibodies.
  • Antibody patterns differ from Western cohorts, reflecting GP.Mur-associated antigenic diversity.
  • Standard screening panels may under-detect anti-Mia, highlighting the need for region-specific screening strategies to optimise transfusion safety.

First published: 06 July 2026

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