V. Chernyshenko, S. Komisarenko

Study of blood coagulation system became even more requested in recent year since the COVID-19 pandemia began. 2020 that was planned for the celebration of 75^th Anniversary of Ukrainian hemostasiology and for publishing of this Issue turned out as the year of world-wide splash of the infection which has thrombosis as the most severe complication that can cause the death of patients. The opening review written by Dr Sandor Vari is summarizing the most recent findings on the pathogenesis and treatment of COVID-19, focusing on markers of endothelial dysfunction and thrombosis during this pathology
The nature and mechanisms of blood coagulation was the object of scientific interest worldwide since Hippocrates introduced the term “thrombus” to describe the blood clot. Ukrainian school of hemostasiology was founded by academician Volodymyr Belitser (1906-1988), remarkable scientist who was one of the most important contributors to the oxidative phosphorylation theory. In 1944 Volodymyr Belitser became the first Head of the laboratory of enzymes, later reorganized into Protein Structure and Functions department, that was focused on the blood circulation and clotting.
This Issue of The Ukrainian Biochemical Journal ‘Molecular and clinical studies of hemostasis’ can be assumed as the peculiar tribute to the school of Belitser presenting articles of Professors Leonid Medved, Yevgen Makogonenko and Eduard Lugovskoi which were the Heads of Protein Structure and Functions department in 1987-1998, 1998-2001 and 2009-2019 respectively, and two experimental works by scientists of Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of NAS of Ukraine focused on blood coagulation and fibrinolysis mechanisms. Tight connection between scientific explorations and medical use of knowledge in the field of hemostasiology is underlined by works of Vinnytsia and Ivano-Frankivsk medical Universities that are also presented in this Issue.
We are presenting ‘Molecular and clinical studies of hemostasis’ – the Thematic Issue of the Ukrainian biochemical journal – with a great hope and expectance that molecular studies and clinical approvals presenting in our collection one day will allow to overwhelm the deadly thrombotic complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Possibly the International project initiated by the RECOOP HST Association (that also guided the edition of this Issue) will have a chance to contribute to it.