President

Greeting from president

President Hidenori Matsuo

At the board meeting of the Japanese Society for Apheresis (JSFA) held on Sep 30, 2014, I was selected to serve as the new president of the society after the previous president Dr Tsuda. On this opportunity, I would like to say a few words to the members of the JSFA. As you already know, the JSFA has been expanding steadily and has flourished by the great efforts of our predecessors. I would like to express sincerer thanks to the previous presidents of the society and also to each president of the annual meetings. I intend to succeed to the founders’ spirits and to strive for further development of the JSFA, which is now at the turning point after the glories of the 1^st generation. 

On my start as the president of the JSFA, I should like to address following issues.

 First of all, it should be important to keep and enhance academic activity of the JSFA. The JSFA has made remarkable achievements, including development of new techniques and devices, and the application of new therapeutic techniques into the patients who are suffering from a variety of diseases, most of which is resistant against ordinary treatments. Now, the JSFA would provide the highest level of information of apheresis to the world. However, the medical community in Japan is currently facing many problems. The circumstance of surrounding apheresis is no exception. Nevertheless, it is important for us to continue to seek new methods and indications of apheresis. There may be more diseases which we should treat by apheresis. We have to regain the initial point once again with research mind for further development of the society. I would like to promote advances in technology and research, and the dissemination of knowledge of the apheresis and its close relationship to the clinical disease.

Another important issue is to establish the evidence of efficacy of treatment with apheresis. Because of the rarity of the diseases which are indicative of apheresis therapy, it has been often difficult to carry out large randomized control trials. The JSFA, in a body, should tackle the clinical trials to establish the evidence, and provide the information to the world.

Now, the Japanese Board of Medical Specialties will require the educational program for the individual medical specialists or experts. It is also important for us to establish the educational system (board-certified medical specialist system) so that we can effectively train medical specialists in all area of Japan. However, it is impossible for only the JSFA to solve this problem. We must collaborate with other domestic and international academic societies. We should make any efforts to recruit young doctors and researchers into the field of apheresis. It is also our duty to certify other healthcare workers who support the teamwork in apheresis treatment, as specialists, and facilitate their training.

Finally, the members of the JSFA have made remarkable achievements through presentations at international congresses, such as ISFA, and the publication of articles in academic journals, making an impact on apheresis medicine around the world. We should continue our efforts to develop research of apheresis with a global relationship. We should also make efforts to disseminate the techniques and knowledge of apheresis to the developing country.

To achieve these mission, we should require broad support not only from members of the JSFA, but also from the public as well. I should appreciate the continuing support and assistance from all of you.

Hidenori Matsuo MD, PhD

President 

Japanese Society for Apheresis