Blood Agreement

Blood supports the policy of access and use by research of data from the genome of HeLa cells. The policy was developed as a result of an agreement between the NIH and surviving members of Henrietta Lacks` family and is described in the HeLa Genome Data Use Agreement, as well as in the NIH Guide Notes for Researchers Submitting HeLa Data to the NIH and for Researchers Using that Data (NIH NOT-OD-13-099 and NIH NOT-OD-14-080). The NIH guideline for HeLa cell whole genome data was developed as a solution to a very unique situation of an identified cell line and is not a precedent for the submission and use of anonymized human genome data. Under the guideline, researchers who generate HeLa cell whole genome sequence data from DNA or RNA must submit the data to the NIH Genotypes and Phenotypes Database (dbGaP). Researchers who wish to use the dbGaP-HeLa data for research purposes must request the data from the NIH, and if it is determined that the use is in accordance with the HeLa Genome Data Use Agreement, access is granted. Researchers submitting HeLa data must also follow the same access request process as secondary users of the data to ensure that all uses comply with the HeLa Genomic Data Use Agreement. In addition, we ask researchers who publish their results to include recognition of the contributions of Henrietta Lacks and her family. While the NIH directive applies to NIH-funded researchers, we encourage non-NIH-funded researchers to adhere to this guideline as well. Researchers, regardless of funding source, who publish scientific evidence on the generation and/or use of data on the entire Genome Sequence of HeLa cells, are encouraged to attach a statement acknowledging the contributions of Henrietta Lacks and her family and confirming that the NIH has approved their use of this data (see link to confirmation statement above, provided by the NIH).

The Blood Oath (Hungarian: vérszerződés, wörtl. According to tradition, the Blood Treaty was a pact between the rulers of the seven Hungarian tribes, traditionally considered the first unwritten constitution of the Hungarian nation. Its history, as well as the terms agreed upon therein, is best known from the Gesta Hungarorum, a somewhat reliable chronicle written between 1196 and 1203 and therefore perhaps influenced by the laws and customs of the 12th century. The oath was sealed by the seven rulers – Álmos, Előd, Ond, Kond, Tas, Huba and Töhötöm – cutting off their arms and leaving their blood in a chalice. Becoming blood brothers was probably traditionally used to seal exceptionally strong oaths, and there must have been several similar oaths, but the phrase “blood oath” usually refers to that of the seven rulers. The blood oath is usually suspected in the 9th century under Grand Prince Álmos in Etelköz before immigration to the Carpathian Basin. The author of Gesta – known only as “Magister P” and commonly referred to as “Anonymous” – told his story in his book. Blood and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) have signed an agreement with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that provides authors with an easy way to comply with NIH guidelines for public access to biomedical research. Under this agreement, Blood authors who publish NIH-funded articles (May 2005 – present) are not required to send manuscripts to the NIH archives, as Blood will do so on their behalf. To ensure that NIH-funded manuscripts are correctly identified at submission, we ask authors to use full titles and/or full acronyms when referring to NIH funding. Please also note that the corresponding author is responsible for disclosing NIH funding to all co-authors. With my blood, I swear my life to the judge and his jury to the end, under the threat of torture and death.

The description of the oath reflects the political and social changes that occurred during Anonymus` lifetime. The growing power of the nobles and their need to codify their rights culminated in the publication of the Golden Bull of 1222. Several historians have concluded that in writing this agreement, Anonymous intended to express social changes during its own period and to support the struggle for the rights of the nobility as a kind of historical justification. According to historian István Nemeskürty, “The purpose of Magister P. (Anonymus) is to justify the rights and claims of the Hungarian nobility of the 13th century and to create a lineage that goes back to conquest for all his friends and family. Although Anonymus emphasizes that his works are based on written sources, he wanted to create a literary work in the style of his time. [4] Blood policy requires that all slightly renewable resources mentioned in a journal article that are not already available from commercial sources be made available to all qualified researchers in this field. The policy is based on the principle that authenticity requires reproducibility. Publication in Blood constitutes a de facto acceptance of this policy by the authors. Included are reagents that can be easily supplied; in particular nucleic acid sequences, cDNA and genomic clones, cell lines and monoclonal antibody clones.

Small amounts (sufficient for replication of all reported in vitro work) of new protein reagents are also considered transmissible. While publishers acknowledge that many of the reagents mentioned in Blood may be proprietary or unique, neither condition is considered a sufficient reason to deviate from this policy. Appropriate material transfer agreements may be entered into between the supplier and the applicant; If a reasonable request is refused, the corresponding author will be held responsible. The consequence of the continued non-compliance will be Blood`s refusal to publish articles by the corresponding author for the next three years. According to contemporary sources, similar blood oaths were common among nomadic peoples similar to Hungarians, such as the Scythians. Herodotus describes a Scythian ritual in which “a large bowl of earth is filled with wine and the parts to the oath, slightly wounded with a knife or hallmark, deposit part of their blood in the wine; then they dip in the mixture a scymitarian, a few arrows, a fighting axe and a spear, while repeating prayers all the time; after all, the two contracting parties each drink a train from the bowl, just like the chiefs among their supporters. [3] [Page required] Blood manuscripts accepted and pre-published in Blood First Edition are considered officially published on the day the article is published on the Blood First Edition website. There is no press embargo on an article once it has been pre-published. An embargo occurs only at the request of an author and only before pre-publication. Manuscripts containing material previously presented as a digital poster presented at a conference or meeting with an online poster repository, or recorded on video will be considered for publication in Blood if important new information is included.

Blood welcomes the submission of manuscripts reporting phase 1, 2, 3 or 4 clinical trials. Reports should include a complete description of the study design, patient population, methodology and behaviour, and statistical plan. In all cases, the report shall be peer-reviewed and assessed for technical merit, novelty, clinical and scientific implications and other measures to determine suitability for publication. Expedited peer review is offered for clinical trials that deserve to be presented to the public with the utmost opportunism. For the full scope of phase 1 to 4 clinical trial reports, click here. As defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (www.ICMJE.org), a clinical trial is “any research project that prospectively assigns human subjects to intervention and comparison groups to investigate the causal relationship between a medical intervention and a health outcome.” Blood follows the ICMJE study registration policy and only considers studies registered before submission and before the start of patient recruitment. Acceptable registries must be approved by the ICMJE (see section below for more information). For authors reporting on Phase II and III randomised controlled trials, it is recommended that the CONSORT statement and checklist be consulted to facilitate full and transparent communication of study results. In addition, for randomised trials, the inclusion of a patient flowchart in the manuscript is recommended.

The registration number and name of the test register shall be indicated at the end of the article summary. In accordance with guidelines published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), Blood requires as a condition of publication that all clinical trials be registered in ClinicalTrials.gov or in one of the primary registries participating in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) or EudraCT. Registration only in a partner register is insufficient. Studies should be recorded no later than the start of patient recruitment. ICMJE and Blood are implementing the WHO definition of clinical trials for all trials that began enrolling on or after 1 July 2008. .