Welcome to the Joint 14^th ISFA World Congress
and 4^th E-ISFA European Congress

Dear Apheresis Community,

On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the Joint 14^th World Congress of the International Society for Apheresis (ISFA) and the 4th European Congress of the European Group of ISFA (E-ISFA), we would like to cordially invite you to Berlin. This joint conference has been planned long time as our first joint in-person event. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were forced to start our conference cooperation in 2021 on a virtual platform but with great success and more than 500 participants worldwide.

We are very proud and grateful to invite you to Berlin, the German capital with its great cultural and political influence. COVID-19 has taught us the importance of having knowledge and experience in extracorporeal and specifically apheresis techniques. In addition to the nonselective approach of plasma exchange, the broader application of selective or even specific apheresis techniques allowing the removal of a wide range of disease-causing or disease-maintaining pathogens opens a growing field of clinically meaningful therapeutic approaches. The concept of selectively eliminating pathogens rather than using pharmacological compounds remains attractive and provides a solid framework for more innovative therapies with only limited, especially long term, side effects.

This joint congress will also provide a platform to discuss new treatment options arising from the development of innovative drugs and their impact on apheresis treatment in the future.

We hope to provide an attractive setting with the congress held in Berlin. For those being not able to join us, we will also combine parts of this conference with virtual reality workshops bridging the gap between Berlin and the world.

Needless to say: Berlin is worth an even longer journey, and we hope that you will experience a successful Congress in Berlin and find an opportunity for getting connected with ISFA and E-ISFA.

Sincerely