|
Facts About
BLOOD
Blood is a life sustaining complex
consisting of red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma. Let
us examine some interesting facts about blood.
- Red cells, white cells and platelets make
up about 45% of the volume of whole blood, and plasma makes
up the remaining 55%.
- Did you know that in an average lifetime,
the heart beats more than 2 billion times? In each precious
second as life goes on, more than 2,000,000 blood cells are
produced by the bone marrow?
- If all the blood vessels in your body were
laid out end-to-end, they would stretch for over 60,000 miles!
- All blood cells originate and mature in
the bone marrow, starting as stem cells and evolving into the
various blood components.
- Red cells carry oxygen to all parts of the
body. Plasma is a mixture of water, protein and salts. It carries
blood cells, nutrients, enzymes and hormones.
- White cells are the body's primary cellular
defense against infection.
- Platelets are miniature plate-shaped cell
fragments that play a crucial part in the blood clotting process
by forming a platelet plug when bleeding occurs. Patients undergoing
treatment for cancer are the primary users of platelets. Many
other users of platelets are patients having bone marrow or
organ transplants and patients in burn treatment or undergoing
surgery. Volunteers donate blood or blood components, such as
plasma or platelets, for use in transfusions.
- Platelets are formed in the bone marrow
as fragments of cells called “megakaryocytes”.
- Each platelet is formed by a piece of the
membrane of a megakaryocyte which is pinched off with a portion
of the cytoplasm and granules of the megakaryocyte. Large numbers
of platelets are shed from a single megakaryocyte in the bone
marrow.
- Platelets make their way from the marrow
into the blood stream where they circulate for about 10 days.
They are then filtered out of the body.
PLATELETS:
THE MIRACLE COMPONENT OF BLOOD
The Human BioSystems’ biological
preservation program is a technologically advanced preservation
and storage system intended to extend the shelf life of platelets,
the congealing component of blood. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy
treatments are the predominant recipients of platelet transfusions.
Other persons that often require platelet transfusions are patients
undergoing extensive surgery, trauma or burn victims and individuals
with platelet deficiencies such as caused by bone marrow disease.
Currently, platelet storage time
is limited to a maximum of five days as mandated by the FDA. Due
to the fact that they are stored at room temperature creates potential
bacterial problems and a loss of platelet functionality. Thousands
of units of platelets are discarded at the end of the five-day period,
creating shortages and waste that cost extraordinary amounts of
money. Platelets older than three days may contain a high bacterial
count causing a risk of infection to patients. In Japan the government
requires that all platelets be used within three days.
The FDA presently requires blood
banks to perform tests to screen for viral diseases, which can take
up two days. Currently bacterial testing has not been mandated due
to the short period of time remaining for infusion. However, this
situation may change because of consumer and government pressure
to have blood centers and hospitals test for bacteria. If the FDA
rules in favor of this proposed regulation it will undoubtedly cause
many problems for the blood industry. The goal of HBS is to change
this storage dilemma. With two issued patents and other pending,
our unique technologies may double the storage period for platelets,
dramatically reduce bacterial growth and maintain better platelet
functionality. Upon further development and regulatory approvals,
we expect to be a major supplier to the industry with our improved
platelet storage technology.
VITAL ORGANS
In
2002, more than 80,000 people in the U.S. were on the organ waiting
list and only about 20,000 received an organ.
In 1998, in Western Europe, there
were over 57,000 people on the waiting list but only 21,880 received
new organs. These numbers have increased only slightly.
Waiting lists include patients
needing a kidney, heart, lungs, pancreas, liver, or small bowel.
The majority of transplants are with kidneys, but numbers of other
organs transplanted are increasing.
HBS technologies may extend an
organ's storage life while simultaneously maintaining the quality
and viability of donated organs, offering more opportunities for
life to the many patients who are on a transplant waiting list.
|
