Aaron Tobian, MD, PhD
Professor and Director of Transfusion Medicine
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Brian Custer, PhD, MPH (he/him/his)
Director
Vitalant Research Institute
San Francisco, California, United States
Disclosure(s): Abbott: Speaker's Bureau (Terminated); Grifols Diagnostic Solutions: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing), Speaker's Bureau (Ongoing); OraSure: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)
Mike Busch, MD, PhD (he/him/his)
Director Emeritus
Vitalant Research Institute
San Francisco, California, United States
Disclosure(s): Abbott: Stock Shareholder (self-managed) (Ongoing); Grifols Diagnostic Solutions: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing); Hologic: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing); International Society of Blood Transfusion: Consultant/Advisory Board (Ongoing), Immediate Past Present; Board of Directors (Ongoing); QuidelOrtho: Grant/Research Support (Terminated); Vitalant: Full-time/Part-time Employee or Owner (Ongoing)
Description: This presentation will review Dr. Busch’s 4 decades of leadership in developing, funding and executing large-scale studies that investigated the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and laboratory evaluation of established transfusion-transmitted infectious diseases (TTIDs), as well as responses to emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), e.g., West Nile Virus, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika Viruses, SARS-CoV-2. It will highlight the progressive development and implementation of enhanced sensitivity donor screening assays, with particular focus on the role of nucleic acid amplification technologies (NAT) to reduce the infectious window period and detect EIDs. Studies will also be reviewed that investigated the mechanisms and prevention of immunological consequences of transfusions, including transfusion-induced immune modulation and viral reactivation, microchimerism and transfusion-related acute lung injury. Recent research on blood donor demographic, genetic and RBC metabolic characteristics that impact RBC integrity and function following component processing and storage and the efficacy of RBC transfusions in various recipient populations will be summarized. The presentation will conclude with new approaches for agnostic surveillance for potential adverse consequences of transfusion and establishment of proactive response networks and technologies to address specific EID threats and utilize donor populations for public health surveillance and policies.
2024 Landsteiner-Alter Award and Lectureship Recipient: Michael P. Busch, MD, PhD
Citation: In recognition of his critical, field-advancing research throughout his extraordinary career. Among Dr. Busch’s many accomplishments, his work has been vital in improving our understanding of viral and serological markers, as well as the infectivity of blood transfusions. His research played a significant role in helping the field to further develop strategies to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections, thus improving the safety of blood transfusion and biotherapies worldwide.