Photo from UAB Hospital
A class of small-molecule ice recrystallization inhibitors could improve the cryopreservation of red blood cells (RBCs) intended for transfusion, according to researchers.
The team said these molecules can decrease the time needed to thaw cryopreserved RBCs, thereby reducing transfusion wait times.
But the molecules also protect RBCs from injury during cryopreservation and reduce the risk of post-thaw hemolysis.
Robert N. Ben, PhD, of the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, and his colleagues conducted this research and detailed the results in the journal ACS Omega.
The researchers began with a class of glucose-based molecules they had previously found to be cryoprotective.
The team set out to determine whether these molecules, known as O-aryl-glycosides, could potentially reduce the time needed to process frozen RBCs.
They found that changes in the structure of O-aryl-glycosides affect their ability to inhibit ice recrystallization and protect against cryoinjury. But 3 O-aryl-glycosides—β-PMP-Glc, β-pBrPh-Glc, and β-pBrPh-Gal—proved particularly effective in these areas.
The researchers said low concentrations of β-PMP-Glc, β-pBrPh-Glc, and β-pBrPh-Gal provided “high post-thaw RBC integrity” and reduced the needed concentration of glycerol from 40% to between 10% and 15%.
The highest post-thaw integrity observed in slow freezing conditions was with β-pBrPh-Glc and β-pBrPh-Gal. The post-thaw integrity was 65% with 55 mM of β-pBrPh-Gal and 67% with 30 mM of β-pBrPh-Glc.
The researchers noted that these molecules were “very effective” in rapid freezing conditions as well. And the addition of glycerol improved post-thaw RBC integrity.
Combining 30 mM of either molecule with 15% glycerol resulted in almost 95% post-thaw RBC integrity, whereas 15% glycerol alone provides 75% post-thaw integrity.
The researchers said 30 mM of β-pBrPh-Glc was even “highly effective” in preventing post-thaw hemolysis with a glycerol concentration of 10%. In this case, the post-thaw integrity was 67%, whereas 10% glycerol alone provides 23% post-thaw integrity.
The researchers noted that lowering the amount of glycerol needed during the cryopreservation process could help minimize the time required to prepare thawed RBCs for transfusion and provide patients with faster access to cryopreserved RBCs.
The team added that O-aryl-glycosides are structurally simple and amenable to large-scale preparation for use in cryopreservation.
