Deformability based cell sorting enabling quality control of stored red blood cells

Canadian Blood Services (CBS) annually collects approximately 850,000 units of donated red blood cells (RBCs), which are used to provide blood transfusions for 500,000 Canadians. RBC transfusions are used to treat a wide range of conditions including acute blood loss, recovery from chemotherapies, and management of chronic diseases. For recipients that receiving transfusions chronically, it is especially important that transfused red blood cells circulate as long as possible in order to maximize the benefit of the transfusion and limit potential adverse reactions.
Not all donated RBC units can confer the same benefit to transfusion recipients. Specifically, it is known that certain donors can provide longer circulating RBCs than others. A key determinant of RBC circulation time is their deformability. Recently, we developed a unique technology to characterize the RBC deformability by sorting RBCs using microstructures that replicate the human spleen. My project will assess the potential to predict circulation time using RBC deformability characterized using this system. If
successfully, the ability to predict circulation time will enable CBS to create special pools of RBC units for chronic transfusion recipients, which will reduce the frequency of transfusions and increase the overall blood supply.

MA, Hongshen

University of British Columbia

Graduate Fellowship Program

British Columbia

$112,333