Reduction in infectivity of endogenous transmissible spongiform encephalopathies present in blood by adsorption to selective affinity resins.

Background: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) can be contracted through blood transfusion. Selective adsorption of the causative agent from donated blood might be one of the best ways of managing this risk. In our study, affinity resin L13, which reduces brain-derived infectivity spiked into human red blood cell concentrate by around 4 log(10)ID(50), and its equivalent, L13A, produced on a manufacturing scale, were assessed for their ability to remove TSE infectivity endogenously present in blood.

Reduction of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy infectivity from human red blood cells with prion protein affinity ligands.

Background: There is a demonstrated risk of infection by transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) through transfusion from asymptomatic donors. Currently, blood-borne TSE infectivity cannot be detected with a diagnostic test, nor is it likely to be amenable to inactivation; however, its depletion with specific adsorp-tive ligand resins is possible.

Study Design And Methods: Six ligands that bind the prion protein, PrP, were selected by screening large solid-phase combinatorial chemical libraries.