DTM Research
Immunohematology Laboratory
In addition to providing a broad range of blood products and services to support Clinical Center patients the Immunohematology Laboratory conducts important research. Please note the current research projects of the section below.

Research Interests

Blood Cell Antigens and Antibodies
Red blood cell, platelet, and granulocyte antigens and antibodies to these antigens are being investigated. The laboratory has studied new methods to detect RBCs antibodies and to elute antibodies from RBCs. The significance of RBC antibodies in disease such as autoimmune lymphoproliferative disease, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and malarial are being studied. The laboratory is also studying the molecular basis of variations in Human Neutrophil Antigen-1a (HNA-1a) and HNA-1b that are located on Fc-gamma-receptor IIIb. Variations in the neutrophil expression of HNA-2a are also being studied. HNA-2a is located on the CD177 gene which is over expressed by neutrophils for patients with polycythemia rubra vera. The genomic structure of the gene is being studied as well as variations in the genomic structure of the gene.

Blood Cell Components
The laboratory is studying methods to improve currently available blood products and processes used to manufacture blood. The lab is working to improve the methods used to remove white blood cells from red blood cells by filtration. Red blood cell components from patients with sickle cell trait often occlude leukocyte reduction filters. They have found that low oxygen tension in collected blood along with the low ph and high osmolarity of citrate anticoagulant cause the sickle hemoglobin in these cells to polymerize. The blood becomes viscous and clogs the filters. Methods to increase the oxygen tension of red blood cells, reverse the sickle hemoglobin polymerization, and allow effective polymerization are being studied.

Recently, some RBC components have been found to contain white particulate material. The nature of these particles and the factors involved with blood processing that may be implicated in the formation of these factors is being studied.

Immune Therapy of Cytomegalovirus Infections
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can be transmitted by blood transfusions and CMV infections are a serious problem for immune suppressed people. T lymphocyte function is critical for defense against acquiring and fighting CMV infections. The laboratory is studying the nature of the T lymphocyte response to CMV and methods to enhance the response. The goal is to use these peptides and proteins to develop novel vaccine therapies for treating CMV infections.

Administration of G-CSF to Healthy Subjects
In order to collect the large number of cells needed for granulocyte transfusions and peripheral blood stem cell transplants, donors must be given a growth factor called granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Granulocyte donors are given one dose of G-CSF and stem cell donors are given 5 days of G-CSF. The DTM studies the optimal methods of administering G-CSF to granulocyte donors and how G-CSF affects both granulocyte and hematopoietic stem cell donors. The goal of these studies is to provide the best products and to make the donation process as safe as possible.