Regenerative effect of expired platelet concentrates in human therapy: An update.

There is concrete evidence that outdated allogeneic platelet concentrates not used for transfusion are valuable sources of functional trophic factors, including growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant molecules. Such outdated platelet concentrates can be used to produce human platelet lysates (HPL), a proven potent growth supplement for the propagation of therapeutic human cells, including mesenchymal stromal cells. On-going preclinical studies demonstrate the interest in such "outdated" allogeneic platelet lysates for treating corneal diseases and neurological disorders of the central nervous system, potentially opening vital therapeutic perspectives.

Impact of Transfusion on Cancer Growth and Outcome.

For many years, transfusion of allogeneic red blood cells, platelet concentrates, and plasma units has been part of the standard therapeutic arsenal used along the surgical and nonsurgical treatment of patients with malignancies. Although the benefits of these blood products are not a matter of debate in specific pathological conditions associated with life-threatening low blood cell counts or bleeding, increasing clinical evidence is nevertheless suggesting that deliberate transfusion of these blood components may actually lead to negative clinical outcomes by affecting patient's immune defense, stimulating tumor growth, tethering, and dissemination. Rigorous preclinical and clinical studies are needed to dimension the clinical relevance, benefits, and risks of transfusion of blood components in cancer patients and understand the amplitude of problems.

Platelet microparticle: a sensitive physiological "fine tuning" balancing factor in health and disease.

Platelet microparticles (PMPs) have long been regarded as inert "platelet dusts". They have now taken a center stage on the clinical research scene of transfusion medicine, being actually seen as long-stretch hands of platelets that exert a physiological role beyond the initial site of activation. These 0.

Multifaceted regenerative lives of expired platelets in the second decade of the 21st century.

A traditional concept in transfusion medicine is the expiration of platelet concentrates 5-7 days after collection due to storage conditions that favor the risks of bacterial contamination and may lead to a gradual alteration of platelet hemostatic power. Newer findings are strongly suggesting that, after their supposed expiration date, platelet concentrates still contain multiple functional growth factors and cytokines and actually have unaltered power for application in regenerative medicine and cell therapy. Expired platelets can be a valuable source of growth factors to promote the healing of wounds, and can be used for ex vivo expansion of stem cells.

Platelets effects on tumor growth.

Unlike other blood cells, platelets are small anucleate structures derived from marrow megakaryocytes. Thought for almost a century to possess solely hemostatic potentials, platelets, however, play a much wider role in tissue regeneration and repair and interact intimately with tumor cells. On one hand, tumor cells induce platelet aggregation (TCIPA), known to act as the trigger of cancer-associated thrombosis.

Regulation of tumor growth and metastasis: the role of tumor microenvironment.

The presence of abnormal cells with malignant potential or neoplastic characteristics is a relatively common phenomenon. The interaction of these abnormal cells with their microenvironment is essential for tumor development, protection from the body's immune or defence mechanisms, later progression and the development of life-threatening or metastatic disease. The tumor microenvironment is a collective term that includes the tumor's surrounding and supportive stroma, the different effectors of the immune system, blood platelets, hormones and other humoral factors.

Platelet microparticles: detection and assessment of their paradoxical functional roles in disease and regenerative medicine.

There is increasing research on and clinical interest in the physiological role played by platelet microparticles (PMPs). PMPs are 0.1-1-μm fragments shed from plasma membranes of platelets that are undergoing activation, stress, or apoptosis.

Platelet-cancer interactions.

Platelets play a crucial role in the pathophysiological processes of hemostasis and thrombosis. Increasing evidence indicates that they fulfill much broader roles in balancing health and disease. The presence of tumor cells affects platelets both numerically, through a wide variety of mediators and cytokines, or functionally through tumor cell-induced platelet activation, the first step toward cancer-induced thrombosis.

Histidine rich glycoprotein and cancer: a multi-faceted relationship.

A better understanding of the interplay between the tumor environment, the immune system, and hemostatic apparatus is essential to effectively improve cancer treatment. Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is an abundant plasma protein with a wide array of functions. HRG has the ability to bind multiple ligands thereby modulating immunity, cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and thrombosis.

Blood-derived biomaterials and platelet growth factors in regenerative medicine.

Several biomaterials can be obtained from human blood. Some are used for clinical indications requiring a high content in fibrinogen, while others are used because they contain multiple platelet growth factors. Mimicking thrombin-induced physiological events of coagulation leading to fibrino-formation and platelet activation, blood biomaterials have critical advantages of being devoid of tissue necrotic effects and of being biodegradable by body enzymes.

The platelet-cancer loop.

The relationship between cancer and thrombosis has been established since 1865 when Armand Trousseau described superficial thrombophlebitis as forewarning sign of occult visceral malignancy. Platelets are the primary hemostatic tool and play a primordial role in cancer-induced thrombosis. Tumor-induced numerical and functional platelet abnormalities have been described in conjunction to changes in coagulation.

Venous thromboembolism risk and prophylaxis in the acute hospital care setting: report from the ENDORSE study in Egypt.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of hospital-related deaths worldwide. However, the proportion of patients at risk of VTE who receive appropriate prophylaxis in Egypt is unknown. The ENDORSE study in Egypt is part of a global initiative to uncover the incidence of high-risk surgical and medical patients and determine what proportion of these patients receive appropriate VTE prophylaxis.

Failure of a non-authorized copy product to maintain response achieved with imatinib in a patient with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia: a case report.

Introduction: Due to high rates of response and durable remissions, imatinib (Glivec((R)), or Gleevec((R)) in the USA; Novartis Pharma AG) is the standard of care in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Recently, a non-authorized product which claims comparability to imatinib has become available.

Case Presentation: This report describes the loss of response in a 36-year-old male patient with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia who had previously been in full hematologic and cytogenetic remission and partial molecular remission for three years, under treatment with brand-name imatinib of 400 mg per day.

Impact of Triton X-100 on alpha 2-antiplasmin (SERPINF2) activity in solvent/detergent-treated plasma.

Large-pool solvent/detergent (SD) plasma for transfusion exhibits reduced alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha2-AP; SERPINF2) functional activity. The reason for the loss of alpha2-AP has not been described and could be due to the SD incubation itself and/or to the processing steps implemented to remove the solvent and the detergent. We have studied alpha2-AP activity during six down-scale preparations of plasma virally-inactivated by 1% (v/v) TnBP combined with two different non-ionic detergents, either 1% Triton X-100 or 1% Triton X-45, at 31 degrees C for 4h.

A process for solvent/detergent treatment of plasma for transfusion at blood centers that use a disposable-bag system.

Background: Solvent/detergent (S/D) inactivates enveloped viruses in plasma. The current technology requires a plasma fractionation facility and is applied to large plasma pools, which increases the cost and risks of exposure to S/D-resistant pathogens and lowers the content of protein S and alpha2-antiplasmin. Two S/D treatment procedures for single donations or minipools of plasma have been developed with a single-use bag system.