New Biotherapies Supplement From Transfusion

AABB is pleased to announce the publication of a special biotherapies-focused supplement of Transfusion titled Evolving Biotherapies: Stakeholders, Solutions, and the Science of Tomorrow.

The supplement's 12 peer-reviewed articles reflect the continued maturation of the field, highlighting the evolving roles of transfusion medicine, cellular starting material and cord blood, immune effector cell therapies, community-based and point-of-care manufacturing, health-system pharmacy integration, quality and accreditation, artificial intelligence, and global standardization. The articles were written by biotherapies experts from the AABB community.

Suzanne Thibodeaux, MD, PhD, CABP(H), from Washington University School of Medicine and a member of the AABB Board of Directors, served as guest editor for the supplement. All articles will be freely available for two years due to the generous sponsorship of Vitalant.

This is the first time Transfusion has published a special supplement devoted specifically to biotherapies. AABB published this unique collection to showcase how central the field has become to the blood and biotherapies community and to reinforce Transfusion as a key publication for biotherapies research. The collection also positions Transfusion as a premier venue for publishing biotherapies research.

“Biotherapies are transforming patient care and have become a natural extension of transfusion medicine. This supplement highlights the innovation occurring across our field while reinforcing AABB's commitment to advancing the science, manufacturing and clinical application of these therapies,” said Jose Cancelas, MD, PhD, CABP, president of AABB. “It also brings together researchers and clinicians to accelerate translation from discovery to patient care.”

Cutting-Edge Biotherapies Research

Jill E. Blind, PharmD, MBA, CCRP, and colleagues examine the evolving role of health-system pharmacy in supporting the safe and effective implementation of cell and gene therapies in “From Innovation to Implementation: Health-System Pharmacy Integration of Cell and Gene Therapies.” The chapter explores how pharmacy expertise helps establish the infrastructure, oversight and multidisciplinary coordination needed to integrate these therapies into clinical practice.

“The future of cell and gene therapy depends not only on scientific breakthroughs but also on our ability to operationalize these therapies safely and consistently for patients,” Blind said. “These therapies require coordination across multiple disciplines, and pharmacy is a key stakeholder in leading that effort. By leveraging the medication-use process, health-system pharmacy can provide the infrastructure, oversight and standardization needed to support both current therapies and future innovations, while helping ensure the highest standards of safety and quality for patients.”

In “Strengthening Biotherapy Development through Global Coordination and Standardization,” Yen-Michael Hsu, MD, PhD, MBA, CABP, QIA, and colleagues explore how international collaboration and harmonized standards can help accelerate the safe, scalable and equitable development of biotherapies.

“The promise of biotherapy is too important—and too complex—for any one country or institution to advance alone,” Hsu said. “Our article emphasizes that harmonized regulations, stronger partnerships and coordinated global action can translate scientific breakthroughs into therapies that are safer, more scalable, more affordable and accessible to patients worldwide. Established and trusted platforms, including bone marrow donor registries and blood centers led by experienced biotherapy professionals, can play a vital role in engaging and protecting donors while providing the sustainable starting materials needed throughout the life cycle of allogeneic cell and gene therapies.”

Cancelas added that biotherapies encompass some of the most innovative and promising research currently happening in medicine. “This supplement of Transfusion showcases advances across the biotherapies landscape, including CAR-T cell therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, gene-modified cells, manufacturing innovations, quality assessment and clinical translation,” he said. “Together, these research papers demonstrate the rapid progress being made toward safer, more effective and more accessible cellular and gene therapies.”

“This issue reflects where the field is heading and how cell and gene therapies can be delivered safely in community settings, supported by sound standards, quality systems and a skilled workforce,” said Jeff Wren, CABP, vice president of biotherapies at AABB. “That is the connection AABB is uniquely positioned to make.”

As the field of biotherapies expands, so too will the research published in Transfusion. Although the journal was originally established as a forum for transfusion medicine research, it now regularly features cutting-edge research from across the blood and biotherapies field.

“Transfusion is becoming a leading forum for high-quality biotherapies research,” Cancelas said. “It provides a trusted platform for publishing work that spans discovery, manufacturing, clinical translation and regulatory science, helping move innovations into clinical practice.”

This special issue underscores AABB's ongoing commitment to advancing biotherapies through scientific excellence, collaboration and education while providing investigators with a trusted venue to disseminate innovations that improve patient care.

Stay tuned for additional details about the supplement's release date.