In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of clinical trials are currently ongoing to evaluate the effectiveness of convalescent plasma derived from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. As a licensed plasma collector for transfusible plasma and the National blood operator (outside Quebec), Canadian Blood Services has consequently taken on a unique role in several […]

Convalescent plasma–used for over a century as the first treatment option in outbreaks caused by novel pathogens. The therapy involves transfusion of blood plasma from recovered donors, which contains antibodies, that can prevent or treat infection in recipients. Convalescent plasa therapy has been observed empirically or in small studies to confer passive immunity to susceptible […]

High dose chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma is followed by the infusion of patients’ own bloodforming stem cells to restore the function of the bone marrow. Canada Blood Services provides critical support in processing and storing these essential stem cell products at very low temperatures. On occasion, the recovery of blood cells after the transplant is […]

Blood transfusion is required for surgery, for the treatment of traumatic accidents and for patients with disorders that require lifelong transfusion therapy. However, when patients receive “mismatched” blood transfusion, their immune system will attack and destroy red blood cells with surface sugars and proteins that differ from their own. This results in massive immune responses […]

Most red blood cells (RBCs) are stored from 1-6 °C in an additive solution of saline, adenine, glucose, and mannitol for up to 42 days. Cryopreservation of RBCs at -80 ºC in 40% glycerol can prolong their shelf life to at least ten years; however, the process to remove glycerol prior to transfusion is time-consuming […]

Blood transfusion is one of the most crucial and commonly-administrated therapeutics worldwide. The need for more accurate and efficient ways to manage blood demand and supply is an increasing concern in many countries. Building a technology-based robust blood demand and supply system that can achieve the goal of reducing the costs of wastage and shortage, […]