THERAFLEX ultraviolet C (UVC)-based pathogen reduction technology for bacterial inactivation in blood components: advantages and limitations

Abstract

While viral screening of blood products has significantly decreased transfusion-related viral infection rates, the risk of receiving bacterially contaminated blood products, especially platelet concentrates has not significantly decreased. Pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs) offer a solution. They can be applied in order to sterilize blood products and, thus, increase the transfusion safety. PRTs can also inactivate emerging viruses that may spread due to travel, trade and climate change. An ultraviolet C (UVC)-based PRT (THERAFLEX UV-Platelets, Maco Pharma, Mouvaux, France) is a robust, safe and reliable UVC-based PRT that effectively inactivates viruses, bacteria, parasites and residual leukocytes in platelet concentrates. In particular, it has a strong inactivation capacity for transfusion-relevant bacteria (log10 reduction factors ranging from 4 to 7), as shown in studies using the WHO International Reference Repository of Platelet Transfusion-Relevant Bacterial Reference Strains. It is however crucial for the PRTs to treat blood products as soon as possible, before contaminating bacteria can grow exponentially and overwhelm the pathogen reduction (PR) capacity of the PRT. Time-to-treatment studies are critical for determining the optimal time to start PR treatment. THERAFLEX UV-Platelets is currently the only technology that provides such specific data. This UVC-based PRT requires no photosensitizer and, consequently, no additional processing time for the removal of such chemicals. Hence, it can be performed immediately after platelet collection or preparation resulting in faster delivery of the blood products. Moreover, its simpler configuration provides added safety by eliminating potential handling and transportation errors that may lead to post-reduction contamination.