In addition to its scientific excellence, the work by Kaul and colleagues is also notable in that it launches a new technical feature of Blood: electronic links to video imagery. Perhaps the most compelling data presented by these authors is real-time intravital microscopy of red cells flowing through vascular beds of the rat mesocolon, now available to all members and subscribers of the Journal. I would encourage all readers of the paper to visit the Bloodwebsite (www.bloodjournal.org) to see the video relating to Figure 3. Take the necessary 2 minutes to download and view the short video comparison of red cell flow in the absence and presence of αVβ3 integrin blockade. Hematology is a visual science, initiated by Leeuwenhoek's microscopes and extended by the electron microscopy of sickle erythrocytes and of individual fibrinogen or von Willebrand factor molecules. In addition, most of the cells that concern hematologists are either intrinsically or passively motile. The trafficking of lymphocytes and neutrophils to sites of inflammation, the phagocytosis of macrophages, the growth and maturation of a platelet-rich clot, and intravascular blood cell flow patterns serve as outstanding examples of how the capacity to present video data might enhance the dissemination of hematologic knowledge. The editors ofBlood sincerely hope that providing its readers the opportunity to view video data images that support hematologic and oncologic studies will enhance their understanding and enjoyment of modern scientific research.
EDITORIAL|
January 15, 2000
