[Process of human platelets loaded with rehalose before lyophilization]

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Hematology
• Biochemistry

Context:

• Platelet preservation is crucial for transfusion and research.
• Lyophilization offers long-term storage but can damage platelets.
• Trehalose is a potential lyoprotectant for biological materials.

Purpose:

• To optimize the loading of trehalose into human platelets prior to lyophilization.
• To assess the impact of trehalose loading on platelet function and activation.
• To determine optimal conditions for maximizing trehalose loading efficiency.

Summary:

• Optimal trehalose loading into human platelets occurs at 37°C for 4 hours with an extracellular concentration below 50 mmol/L.
• Platelet aggregation response to agonists (thrombin, ADP, collagen, ristocetin) and activation markers (CD62p, PAC-1) remained largely unaffected post-loading.
• Loading efficiency increased linearly with incubation time and temperature, reaching nearly 60% under optimal conditions.

Impact:

• Establishes optimal parameters for trehalose loading in human platelets for lyophilization.
• Demonstrates that trehalose loading does not significantly impair platelet reactivity.
• Provides a foundation for improving the long-term storage and therapeutic potential of platelets.