The safety of blood transfusion can be increased by introducing methods that eliminate blood-borne pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. In this thesis, the use of photodynamic treatment (PDT) to... Show moreThe safety of blood transfusion can be increased by introducing methods that eliminate blood-borne pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. In this thesis, the use of photodynamic treatment (PDT) to inactivate pathogens in cellular blood products is described. Various photosensitizers, from phenothiazines to porphyrins, were tested for their efficacy to inactivate a wide range of pathogens with minimal induction of blood cell damage. From this series of photosensitizers, meso-substituted mono-phenyl-tri (N-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin [Tri-P(4)] stood out as the most efficacious. Besides the virucidal and bactericidal efficacy of PDT, we also studied the effect of the treatment on the quality and functionality of red blood cells and of haematopoietic stem cells from cord blood stem cell products. In addition, we evaluated the potential of Tri-P(4)-mediated PDT to induce immunomodulation Show less
