Grant: Project Grant

This research addresses critical challenges associated with blood transfusion: the prevention of bacterial growth and quality of stored blood. Platelets and whole blood are given to patients suffering hemorrhage, cancer, bleeding and other disorders. Currently platelets are kept in bags made of plastics not originally designed for cell storage. Fresh whole blood (FWB) is collected and stored in similar bags. Current bag materials have no antibacterial properties, with one in every 1000-1500 platelet units being contaminated by bacteria, rendering the unit highly hazardous to recipients. FWB is used within 24 h of collection due to fear of infection. Canada has introduced pathogen-inactivating systems to combat these bacteria, but the process damages the platelets and it has been shown that bacteria can escape inactivation causing harm. There is no technology currently available to present bacterial growth in whole blood or any red cell containing transfusion products. This research addresses this critical challenge, by developing self-sterilizing devices for the collection, processing and storage of the blood, and to ensure the blood remain bacteria-free while improving their shelf-life and quality for transfusion. We will achieve this goal by leveraging cutting-edge antibacterial coatings developed by our lab. We will screen various coating compositions to identify top performers against a broad spectrum of clinically relevant bacteria. We will also develop novel surface attached antimicrobial agents identified using our novel screening method. These novel coatings easily applied to blood storage bags will be optimized for long-term antibacterial function, and to ensure they stabilize the platelets and whole blood. Through this technology, we aim to eliminate the fear of infection in transfusion products to minimize the adverse effects associated with transfusions, and improve the safety, decrease shortage and increase their shelf-life.