Treated Red Blood Cells Viable After Storage

A clinical study has shown that red blood cells treated with a pathogen-inactivation compound and stored for 28 days retained their viability following reinfusion, with no significant changes in serology observed.

The pathogen inactivation product used in the study was Inactine, from V. I. Technologies, Inc. (Vitex, Watertown, MA, USA). The study involved 12 healthy adults. Blood in the test units was treated with 0.1% Inactine for red blood cells, which binds to nucleic acids such as viral DNA or RNA. The treated cells were then processed to remove the pathogen inactivating compound from the blood and stored at 4o C for 28 days. Control red blood cell units were prepared and stored as conventional leukoreduced additive system red blood cells. The stored blood was then analyzed for measures of viability and metabolic activity and subsequently radio-labeled and an aliquot reinfused into the subjects.

To monitor the infused cells, researchers used a double radio-labeled technique. They found that mean recovery of the treated blood cells after 24 hours was equivalent to that of the control units, and no significant difference was found between the treated cells and the controls in their circulating half-life in days. No significant changes in serology were observed, and the treated cells showed no antigenicity. The study's in vitro testing suggested that the same parameters of retained red cell viability could be maintained for up to 42 days of storage.

"Although red blood cells represent by far the largest and most significant segment of the blood product market, their physical fragility has posed a particular challenge to researchers seeking ways to inactivate viruses and other pathogens contained in donated red cells,” said Samuel Ackerman, M.D., chairman and chief science officer at Vitex.



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