Red blood cell in vitro quality and function is maintained after S-303 pathogen inactivation treatment

Background Over the past decade there has been a growth in the development of pathogen reduction technologies to protect the blood supply from emerging pathogens. This development has proven to be difficult for red blood cells (RBCs). However the S‐303 system has been shown to effectively inactivate a broad spectrum of pathogens, while maintaining RBC quality. Study Design and Methods A paired three‐arm study was performed to compare the in vitro quality of S‐303–treated RBCs with RBCs stored at room temperature (RT) for the duration of the treatment (18‐20 hr) and control RBCs stored at 2 to 6°C. Products were sampled weekly over 42 days of storage (n = 10) and tested using an array of in vitro assays to measure quality, metabolism, and functional variables. Results During S‐303 treatment there was a slight loss of RBCs and hemoglobin (Hb