Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

This research addresses serious challenges associated with blood transfusion: quality ofstored platelets and the prevention of bacterial growth. Platelet transfusion is used for treatingpatients suffering e.g. from cancer and excessive blood loss (accident victims). In NorthAmerica, approximately 4.5 million units of platelets are transfused every year. Currentlyplatelets are stored in plastic containers which are originally not designed to store platelets atroom temperature. There is very little innovation in platelet storage over the years. The qualityof stored platelets decreases due to the surface induced damage by the current conventionalstorage bags. Transfusion of bacterial contaminated platelets is another longstanding seriouscomplication. The incidence of bacterial contamination associated with platelet storage is ashigh as 1 per every 1500 units and represents a huge cost as every platelet unit is tested forcontamination to avoid septic reactions in patients. Thus improving the quality of storedplatelets, shelf-life and develop methods to prevent bacterial growth will significantlyavailability, reduce the wastage and increase transfusion efficiency. Our project seeks novelplatelet storage devices based on latest breakthroughs at UBC on novel one-step universalantibiofilm coating and inhibitors that scavenge platelet activating molecules. The proposeddevice will improve the quality of stored platelets and increase the shelf-life by providing anenvironment that is highly cell compatible in comparison to the current storage bags. Weanticipate that this will extend the storage life of platelets significantly compared to the current5 days. Importantly this new device can be used in conjunction with the newly approvedpathogen inactivation technologies by improve the platelet quality. The benefits over currentmethods will be substantial as it avoid wastage and increase safety and have significant costsavings to our health system.