Red Blood Cells Derived from Whole Blood Treated with Riboflavin and UV Light Maintain Adequate Cell Quality through 21 Days of Storage.

Background: The Mirasol system for whole blood (WB) is a non-toxic, non-mutagenic pathogen reduction technology (PRT) that treats WB units with riboflavin (vitamin B) and ultraviolet (UV) light to alter nucleic acids, thereby reducing pathogen infectivity and inactivating white blood cells. This study evaluates the quality of red blood cells (RBCs) derived from WB treated with the Mirasol system.

Study Design And Methods: Paired units of WB were collected from 61 healthy donors.

Treatment of Platelet Products with Riboflavin and UV Light: Effectiveness Against High Titer Bacterial Contamination.

Contamination of platelet units by bacteria has long been acknowledged as a significant transfusion risk due to their post-donation storage conditions. Products are routinely stored at 22 °C on an agitating shaker, a condition that can promote bacterial growth. Although the total number of bacteria believed to be introduced into a platelet product is extremely low, these bacteria can multiply to a very high titer prior to transfusion, potentially resulting in serious adverse events.

Inactivation of viruses in platelet and plasma products using a riboflavin-and-UV-based photochemical treatment.

Background: Multilayered blood safety programs reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases; however, there remains a risk of window period transmission of screened viruses and transmission of unscreened and emerging viruses from asymptomatic donors. To reduce this risk, a riboflavin-and-UV-light-based pathogen reduction process was evaluated against eight viral agents.

Study Design And Methods: Riboflavin and UV light was evaluated against the following eight viral agents: encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC), hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), influenza A (FLUAV), La Crosse virus (LACV), pseudorabies virus (PRV), sindbis virus (SINV), and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV).

A laboratory comparison of pathogen reduction technology treatment and culture of platelet products for addressing bacterial contamination concerns.

Background: Concerns over the risk of bacterial contamination of platelet products have led to implementation of bacteria culture and other screening methods. New approaches for dealing with this issue have also been proposed.

Study Design And Methods: A direct comparison of treatment with riboflavin and ultraviolet (UV) light (Mirasol pathogen reduction technology [PRT] system) versus bacterial culture testing (two-bottle system, 48-hour quarantine) was undertaken to compare their effectiveness.