SBIR PHASE 1 TOPIC 43

The contractor will identify methodologies for broad spectrum inactivation of pathogens in red blood cell concentrates(RBCC). RBCCs are the main components of blood used in transfusion medicine, yet currently there are no FDAapproved methods for broad spectrum pathogen inactivation for RBCCs; instead, the risk of transfusion associatedpathogen transmission is reduced by screening the transfused blood for specific pathogens. Solvent-detergentmethod, currently approved by FDA for plasma, is active against only enveloped viruses and cannot be used forRBCCs since the RBCCs have a functional plasma membrane. The use of photodynamic compounds such aspsoralens and methylene blue in conjunction with UV light is approved for plasma and platelets in several Europeancountries but the lack of transparency of RBCCs to UV light can pose special challenges to successful and consistentpathogen inactivation in that system.