Short and sweet science

Abstract

The complexity of an international scientific conference can be enough to make your blood boil, which is now recognized as being well above its optimal functional temperature in vivo. In contemplating the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) Congress in Melbourne, July 6‐10, 2019, and being faced with multiple appealing State‐of‐the‐Art (SOA) lectures by well‐known speakers, it is difficult to choose between concurrent sessions of high interest. The situation in this regard is more pressing as the “overlap” between subthemes within thrombosis and hemostasis increases and the role of the vascular/blood systems beyond thrombosis and hemostasis is expanding into inflammation, immunity, cancer, tumor biology, and more. Long‐format SOA review articles were once a staple of biennial ISTH conferences and were published concurrent with the Congress. For the 2017 Berlin ISTH Congress, Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (RPTH) published selected SOA reviews after the Congress as a series; these articles included late‐breaking science reports on work related to the SOA topic that was presented in the oral or poster abstract sessions.1 Using both formats, SOA reviews provided detailed coverage of topics across the spectrum of science. With the conference shifting to annual meetings in 2019, an updated approach to presenting attendees with concise and functional information on SOA presentations at the Congress, and using a format suitable for longer‐term referral and evaluation of core themes and messages, is now warranted. Based on recently discussed rationale and successful application at a previous conference,2, 3 in 2019 RPTH is publishing an open‐access Illustrated Review article consisting of “capsules” of the SOA presentations. Conference‐based Illustrated Review articles from any organization can be considered for publication in RPTH. Typically, capsules consist of a short text (up to 150 words), 3 key references, and a figure or image of no more than 2 panels, concisely encapsulating central concepts related to the SOA topic, and emphasizing the most important focus points and take‐home messages from the lecture. They are not intended to be comprehensive or cover all the details related to the topic in its entirety. Together, the topics cover clinical and basic areas and everything in between, and convey central features and the length, breadth, and depth of the field, supporting the overall aim to highlight findings that will advance knowledge and ultimately change clinical practice and improve outcomes. In the clinical sphere, particular areas of focus in the Melbourne SOA topics include acute stroke management (mechanical and thrombolysis), cancer‐associated thrombosis, new hemophilia therapies, coagulation support for artificial circuits or implanted devices, and the interface between infection and inflammation (including the gut microbiome) and thrombosis/coagulation.4 In the experimental and discovery areas, SOA topics include megakaryocyte biology and platelet production, structure‐function of key receptors and coagulation factors, and emerging roles of thrombotic/hemostatic factors beyond their more historical roles.4 We hope that attendees of the ISTH Congress will visit the RPTH website (http://rpth.isth.org) during SOA lectures to view the capsules and to share and comment on them on their social networks using #IllustratedReview and #ISTH2019. In this way, the material will reach those attending other SOA sessions or who are not at the Congress. Hearty thanks are due to all the capsule authors, to RPTH editor Professor Mary Cushman and staff, and to all the reviewers and coordinators involved in the project. Enjoy, and, with possible rare exceptions, they won't make your blood run cold! AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS CM Ward and RK Andrews cowrote the manuscript.