Rapid Sterilization of Blood Products Using Radiation
Author Information
Author(s): Melemenidis Stavros, Nguyen Khoa D., Baraceros-Pineda Rosella, Barclay Cherie K., Bautista Joanne, Lau Hubert, Ashraf M. Ramish, Manjappa Rakesh, Dutt Suparna, Soto Luis Armando, Katila Nikita, Lau Brianna, Visvanathan Vignesh, Yu Amy S., Surucu Murat, Skinner Lawrie B., Engleman Edgar G., Loo Billy W. Jr., Pham Tho D.
Primary Institution: Stanford University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
Ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) irradiation can rapidly sterilize bacteria without adversely affecting the production of clinical-grade apheresis platelet products.
Conclusion
This study shows proof-of-concept of a novel rapid blood sterilization technique using a clinical linear accelerator, maintaining promising platelet counts and antibody binding.
Supporting Evidence
- 1 kGy irradiation of bacteria-spiked platelets reduced E.coli growth by 2.7-log without significant change of platelet count.
- 5 kGy or higher produced complete growth suppression.
- The estimated sterilization (6-log bacterial reduction) dose was 2.3 kGy, corresponding to 31% platelet count reduction.
- A 25 kGy virus sterilizing dose to CCP produced a 9.2% average drop of RBD-specific IgG binding.
Takeaway
The researchers found a way to quickly kill germs in blood products using special radiation, while still keeping the blood safe for patients.
Methodology
Blood products were irradiated with a clinical linear accelerator configured for ultra-high dose rate irradiation, with various doses applied to assess bacterial and viral sterilization effects.
Limitations
The study is a proof-of-concept and requires further experiments to confirm findings with larger sample sizes.
Participant Demographics
Blood products were collected from healthy volunteer donors (n = 15).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.005
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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