Anneke Brand (1946-2021).

Abstract

Anneke Brand, Professor in Transfusion Medicine, passed away on Sunday, 21 November 2021, at the age of 75. She was a pioneer in both the immunological and clinical aspects of blood transfusion. She has played a pivotal role in the development of the Dutch Cord Blood Bank. During her entire career, she was dedicated to inspiring many researchers and clinicians alike in the field of transfusion medicine and haematology. Her ability to question and challenge scientific findings, as well as many social issues, is unequalled. Anneke was born on 7 June 1946 in The Hague, the Netherlands. In 1973, she obtained her medical degree from the Free University Amsterdam and was accepted for a PhD project at the Department of Immunohaematology and Blood Bank of the Academic Hospital Leiden under the wings of Prof. Jon van Rood and Dr George Eernisse. In this project, she started working on the management of patients refractory to platelet transfusions, including antibody detection and donor selection. In those days, many leukaemia patients suffered from severe bleeding complications and presented with unexplained severe transfusion reactions and markedly reduced post-transfusion increments. In the laboratory of the Immunohaematology Department, important aspects of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class type I system were unravelled and the first sibling bone marrow transplants for severe combined immunodeficiency and aplastic anaemia patients were performed. Laboratory tests to detect HLA antibodies were developed. In 1978 she defended her thesis ‘Platelet Supportive Care’, and meanwhile learned all aspects of blood-banking. After this, she started her training in internal medicine in Haarlem, followed by her specialization in haematology at the Leiden Academic Hospital. As a medical specialist, in 1984 she returned to the Blood Bank and Haemapheresis Department, combining patient care and clinical research, investigating the role of leukocytes on clinical transfusion outcomes in various disorders, from colorectal cancer surgery to erythrocyte alloimmunization. Her research led to the adoption of leukoreduction to diminish alloimmunization as well as other adverse transfusion reactions. After a sabbatical in Paris in the laboratory of Prof. Michel Kazatchkine working on anti-idiotypic antibodies in intravenous immunoglobulins, in 1988 she succeeded George Eernisse as Medical Director of the Red Cross Leiden and the Blood Bank of the Leiden University Hospital. After the AIDS drama, good manufacturing practice became mandatory and regional Dutch blood banks merged with neighbouring blood banks. Over a period of 10 years, all Dutch Red Cross blood banks gradually merged with the Dutch Laboratory of the Red Cross to form one national organization: Sanquin. In 1994, together with Fred Falkenburg, she established the Dutch Cord Blood Bank, a joint effort between the Leiden University Medical Centre and the Red Cross Blood Bank. In 1995, she joined the Royal College of Pathology, and in 1999 she became Professor of Internal Medicine with assignment to Transfusion Medicine. In that period, she started researching the optimal conditions for the storage and expansion of cord blood for transplantation as well as exploring the possibility of using cord blood to produce red blood cells for transfusion. From 2000 till her ‘age-enforced’ retirement in 2011, she was the head of clinical research at Sanquin Blood Bank Southwest. In this period, several clinical trials were successfully conducted, including studies regarding peri-operative blood management strategies as well as several clinical platelet transfusion trials. After her retirement, she remained active in many fields, including the board of the European Haematology Association (2012–2016), Europdonor (till 2015), and advisory work for TRIP, the Dutch Haemovigilance network. She received the Claes Högman Lecture Award of the Swedish Blood Transfusion Society (1997), the Blundell Award of the British Blood Transfusion Society (2009), the Presidential Award of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (2020), and, very recently, the Landsteiner Award (2021). Scientifically, she continued working on non-inherited maternal antigens, an interest she shared with Jon van Rood, and studying factors that influence erythrocyte alloimmunization. Only recently were we informed that Anneke was severely and incurably ill, and her passing away was abrupt. We will remember her words of comfort, wisdom, and inspiration, as we will remember her tremendous scientific drive and encyclopaedic up-to-date knowledge in many fields of medicine. We will never forget the detailed questions she used to have at the end of every lecture she attended, aiming to improve the quality of everyone's contribution to transfusion medicine. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and colleagues.