Alternative for High-Demand Blood Product

Michael's Hospital (also in Toronto), whose team is developing the new blood product. "In addition, this discovery should allow for a more consistent product with less side-effects than the IVIg currently in use.” The team's work was reported in the June 2006 edition of Nature Medicine.

ITP is an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to send signals to the spleen to remove platelets from the body. Many patients with ITP rely on frequent transfusions of IVIg to prevent bleeding. "Patients suffering with ITP require IVIg to prevent or control bleeding, but we don't know how it works,” observed Dr. Heather Hume, executive director of transfusion medicine at Canadian Blood Services. "Dr. Lazarus' research finding brings us one step closer to understanding how we can develop better treatments for these patients, and how best to use this treatment in patients with other autoimmune disorders, not only ITP.”

IVIG is a plasma-derived blood component. Switching to a synthetic replacement would free-up a large quantity of plasma, making it more readily available for use in other treatments.



Related Links:
Canadian Blood Services