English: Giant Platelets on a blood smear (40x). Español: Plaquetas en un frotis sanguíneo (40x). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Platelets, whose primary function is to prevent bleeding, are vital for treating various forms of trauma and blood diseases.
However, they can only be obtained through blood donations at present. Researchers reporting online February 13 in the Cell Press journal Cell Stem Cell recently found a way to create platelets without the need for donated blood, an advance that could possibly erase supply shortages and ensure platelet treatments for all who need them.
The supply of donated platelets, which have a short shelf life and must be kept at room temperature, is often insufficient to meet clinical needs. In addition, while transfused platelets do not typically need to be immune-matched to patients, repeated transfusion of unmatched platelets leads to an immune reaction that eventually renders patients unresponsive to platelet transfusion therapy.
To address these limitations, investigators from Japan developed a strategy to derive functional platelets from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells can be generated from various types of cells in the body, and they can in turn be coaxed to develop into nearly any other cell type. In the current study, the approach involved genetically manipulating such stem cells to become stable immortalized lines of platelet-producing cells called megakaryocyte progenitors.
The megakaryocyte progenitors could produce large quantities of platelets with clotting capabilities that were similar to those of donated platelets. Unlike freshly donated platelets, though, the immortalized megakaryocyte progenitors could be expanded and frozen for long-term storage.
“Here we established a method to achieve the long-term self-replication of megakaryocyte progenitors as an immortalized cell line, which could eventually contribute to large-scale cultivation and production of platelets,” says senior author Dr. Koji Eto of Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo.
The Latest on: Platelet supply
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The Latest on: Platelet supply
- Blood and platelet donors neededon June 23, 2022 at 12:00 pm
As summer officially begins and people gather for holiday celebrations, the American Red Cross reminds communities that patients are counting now on the generosity of blood and platelet ...
- Blood donation center opens in Cedar Park to serve growing area needson June 23, 2022 at 8:01 am
We Are Blood is opening a location in Cedar Park, its fourth permanent blood donation center. The nonprofit hopes the addition will help serve the area's growing needs through 2024.
- American Red Cross needs blood, platelet donors around the Fourth of Julyon June 22, 2022 at 10:39 pm
As summer officially begins and people gather for holiday celebrations, the American Red Cross reminds communities that patients are counting now on the generosity of blood and platelet donors, ...
- Blood and other donors needed around Fourth of Julyon June 22, 2022 at 4:46 pm
As people gather for holiday celebrations, the Red Cross says it sees about a 21% decline in blood and platelet donations.
- Critical need for blood donationson June 22, 2022 at 9:39 am
Vitalant, the nonprofit blood services provider, is asking people to make an appointment to donate blood in the coming days and weeks to address a critical blood shortage in New Mexico. All types of ...
- Blood, platelet donors needed around Fourth of Julyon June 22, 2022 at 8:22 am
As summer officially begins and people gather for holiday celebrations, the American Red Cross reminds communities that patients are counting now on the generosity of blood and ...
- American Red Cross: Blood and platelet donors neededon June 22, 2022 at 8:06 am
As summer officially begins and people gather for holiday celebrations, the American Red Cross reminds communities that patients are counting now on the generosity of blood and platelet donors, especi ...
- American Red Cross seeks blood, platelet donorson June 22, 2022 at 7:45 am
As summer officially begins and people gather for holiday celebrations, the American Red Cross reminds communities that patients are counting now on the generosity of blood and platelet donors, especi ...
- Blood And Platelet Donors Needed Around Fourth Of Julyon June 22, 2022 at 7:22 am
As summer officially begins and people gather for holiday celebrations, the American Red Cross reminds communities that patients ...
- Facing shortages, We Are Blood opens Cedar Park site to expand donation optionson June 22, 2022 at 6:00 am
We Are Blood, Central Texas' nonprofit blood bank, has opened a new donation center in Cedar Park. The center at 251 N. Bell Blvd. has seven beds, three for collecting platelets a ...
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