European Hematology Association: Shedding New Light on the Prevention of Platelet Storage Lesion

MADRID, June 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Hemorrhagic and thrombocytopenic patients require platelet transfusion to prevent or treat bleeding. Cold storage of platelets results in complex molecular lesions associated with changes in platelet membrane microdomains that are recognized by host macrophages and hepatocyte counter-receptors, resulting in phagocytosis and clearance upon transfusion. For that reason, platelets for allogeneic human transfusion are stored at room-temperature resulting in increasing risk of bacterial contamination during storage and limiting their shelf-life to 4-6 days. Extensive attempts to prevent the refrigeration lesion to allow cold storage of platelets which are able to circulate normally and maintain normal hemostatic activities have not been successful. In our study we have attempted to prevent the refrigerated storage lesion and increase the period of platelet storage in cold. We have found that the small GTPase proteins Rho-A and Rac are activated upon refrigeration and this activation is the basis of the the refrigerated platelet lesion. We have found that a reversible RhoA inhibitor, and in lesser degree, a reversible Rac inhibitor prevents the platelet storage lesion, resulting in normal survival and hemostatic activity in vivo. If confirmed in human allogeneic transfusion, this method may be a valid alternative to pathogen reduction method and may be very useful for platelet transfusion in thrombocytopenic patients.

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Presenter: Dr Shailaja Hegde

Affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center & Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Topic: REVERSIBLE PHARMACOLOGICAL TARGETING OF RHOA PREVENTS REFRIGERATED PLATELET STORAGE LESION ALLOWING NORMAL SURVIVAL AND HEMOSTATIC ACTIVITY OF PLATELETS IN VITRO AND IN VIVO, IN MICE AND IN PRIMATES

Abstract S149 will be presented by Shailaja Hegde on Friday, June 23 15:45 - 17:00 in Hall A.

About the EHA Annual Congress
Hematology is a specialty that covers everything to do with blood: its origin in the bone marrow, diseases of blood and their treatments. The latest data on research and developments will be presented. The topics range from stem cell physiology and development, to leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma - diagnosis and treatment; red blood cells -, white blood cells- and platelet disorders; thrombosis and bleeding disorders.