Transfusion Medicine in the year 2025: Facts or Fantasy?

Blood transfusion science has made tremendous progress over the last century. It started with the discovery of ABO blood groups by Karl Landsteiner at the beginning of the century. The journey continued throughout the century towards safer blood transfusion. This ‘march’ was in the direction of achieving zero risk transfusion. Initial focus was targeted towards gathering knowledge about different aspects of red cell antigen structures. As a result, major blood group antigens were discovered around the first half of the last century. Red cell serology made an opening to the new horizon called immunohematology. Research scope gradually extended to other cellular components. Towards the end of the century, all cellular blood components were brought to the use of human beings in one way or the other. Most interesting developments were in the field of progenitor cells.