[Pathogen reduction for platelets: available techniques and recent developments].

Area of Science:

• Blood banking and transfusion medicine
• Microbiology and infectious disease control
• Biotechnology and medical device development

Context:

• The pursuit of microbiological safety in blood components, akin to plasma-derived drugs, spurred pathogen reduction research in the 1990s.
• A 2007 consensus conference outlined implementation strategies for these critical safety processes.
• Platelet concentrates have seen the development of multiple pathogen reduction technologies, with varying levels of clinical adoption.

Purpose:

• To review the development and implementation status of pathogen reduction technologies for blood components, particularly platelet concentrates.
• To compare the clinical and scientific documentation supporting different pathogen reduction processes.

Summary:

• Three main pathogen reduction processes for platelet concentrates are under development or in clinical use: UV-C only (preclinical), Mirasol® (riboflavin/UV-A/UV-B, CE marked), and Intercept® (psoralen/UV-A, CE marked).
• The Intercept® process, established since 2002 and licensed in multiple European countries, possesses a substantial body of evidence from in vitro studies to post-marketing surveillance.
• This documentation for Intercept® exceeds that of other novel blood safety innovations at their introduction.

Impact:

• Highlights the advanced state of evidence for the Intercept® pathogen reduction system in platelet concentrates.
• Provides a comparative overview of pathogen reduction technologies, aiding informed decisions in blood banking.
• Underscores the importance of comprehensive documentation for the successful implementation of new transfusion safety measures.