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The expert report prepared for the Infected Blood Inquiry described HIV as a virus that preferentially attacks and kills particular cells, the CD4 T lymphocytes that control the immune system and thereby allow the body to fight off infection.

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The expert report prepared for the Infected Blood Inquiry stated that if antiretroviral therapy (ART) is initiated early enough life expectancy approaches that of the general population and normalisation of T4/T8 ratio appears mostly only achievable upon early ART initiation and has been associated with a lower risk for non-AIDS-defining events.

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A lecture on Christopher Wren's medical discoveries described how Wren handed over his experimental work to Richard Lower who later experimented with the direct transfer of blood between two dogs using hollow goose quills and tubing.

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An extract of a letter written by J Denis published in Philosophical Transactions described how Dr Jean-Baptiste Denis transfused blood from a lamb to a boy suffering from fever.

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An article in Philosophical Transactions journal described an experiment where blood was transfused to a man who survived without ill effect. The experiment was first conducted on a sheep.

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A book on the history of blood transfusions discussed the beginning of transfusions in the 17th century and how a servant died after a series of blood transfusions of calf blood, which caused the French parliament to ban the procedure.

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An article in the British journal of Anaesthesia described why the use of blood transfusion was discredited in the 19th century due to failed experiments because of the misunderstanding of the physiology of the blood and misconception of the therapeutic role of blood transfusions.

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Dr Karl Landsteiner discovered blood groups.

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It was discovered that sodium citrate could be used as an anticoagulant. The anticoagulant allowed blood to be stored for a few days and ended the need for donor and recipient to be in the same room.

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The first tentative use of citrated blood which had been taken from a donor shortly before.

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Jack Copland inspired a group of walking donors to give transfusions of their blood to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh.

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An article in the British Medical Journal drew attention to the risk that transfusion could transmit hepatitis.

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The Method Observed in Transfusing the Blood out of One Animal into Another Philosophical Transactions was published.

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Frozen plasma was first developed.

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Plasma itself was first used in the treatment of haemophilia.

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The Treasury War Emergency Committee decided to finance two facilities in the UK to prepare freeze-dried human plasma, to take advantage of these benefits. One of these was to be situated "in the north".

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Dr Edwin Cohn and his team at Harvard discovered how the constituent parts of plasma could be separated for use. His process, known as "Cohn fractionation" was developed then, and its essential principles remain in use to this day.

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Dr Peter Foster gave evidence to the Inquiry about "Cold ethanol fractionation" deposited fibrinogen at its first stage, together with two proteins present in such small quantities as to be described as "trace proteins" - which became known as Factor 8, and von Willebrand factor.

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Cohn et al published Preparation and Properties of Serum and Plasma Proteins. IV. A System for the Separation into Fractions of the Protein and Lipoprotein Components of Biological Tissues and Fluids.

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The British Medical Journal published An Episode of "Homologous Serum Jaundice" drawing attention to the risk that transfusion could transmit hepatitis.

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