Despite extensive donor screening and improved screening tests for blood, transfusion-associated diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS remain a significant problem. As a result, the development of a practical and efficient process for the decontamination of blood components has become a goal of several research efforts. We have recently developed experimental protocols for a psoralen based photochemical decontamination process for platelet concentrates, utilizing UVA light (320-400 nm). However, since red cells are opaque to wavelengths below 590 nm, we seek to develop a new system to inactivate pathogens in packed red cells, which can readily be implemented at the blood bank level. We seek to identify commerclally available compounds which might be useful for photoinactivation of pathogens in packed red cells. This objective will be achieved through these specific aims: I) selection of candidate compounds, which are preferentially FDA approved, and that a) are commercially available, b) interact with DNA or RNA, and c) absorb light between 590 and 750 nm.; 2) evaluation of the inactivation potential of each compound using a safe and rapid bacteriophage assay. Successful compounds, active in the bacteriophage assay, will be further evaluated for their ability to inactivate HIV-I.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research: Our long-term company objective is to develop universally applicable photochemical methods for the decontamination of human blood products. Presently, over 13 million units of blood are collected annually, providing 11-12 million units of packed red cells for transfusion. Since the current protection of the blood supply (and hence red cells) depends on testing, a decontamination strategy could limit the introduction of new tests and ensure the future safety of the blood supply against new pathogens. An efficient and practical method to decontaminate red cells would clearly provide a significant commercial opportunity.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
