Centre for Innovation
Progress Report
2015-2016
July 5, 2016
Table of contents
Executive Summary
2
Overview of the Centre for Innovation
3
Our research and education network
3
Our activities
3
Research and development progress
3
Safety and sufficiency of the blood supply
4
Blood products: Red blood cells
7
Blood products: Platelets
11
Blood products: Plasma, plasma products, and plasma product replacement
13
Hematopoietic stem cells
16
Organ and tissue donation and transplantation
18
Building capacity in transfusion and transplantation science and medicine
18
Salary support
18
Courses and diplomas
20
Education events
21
Education materials
23
Science communication
24
Leveraging expertise through collaborations
24
Clinical guidelines and leading practices
24
Blood operations
25
Blood safety
25
Research services
26
Governance
26
References cited
27
Appendix I: Funded projects
i
Appendix II: Publications
viii
Appendix III: Health Canada Financial Contribution
xxx
1
Executive Summary
The Centre for Innovation is Canadian Blood Services’ nucleus of research, development, and education.
Through its multi-faceted activities, the Centre aims to advance Canadian Blood Services’ innovation
agenda by fostering and supporting relevant discovery and applied research, facilitating dissemination and
application of the created knowledge, preparing the next generation of scientific and health care experts in
transfusion and transplantation medicine, and engaging with an interdisciplinary network of partners in
Canada and beyond. By promoting the creation and translation of knowledge into new and enhanced
practices, services, and technologies, the activities of the Centre for Innovation contribute to the
advancement of transfusion and transplantation medicine in Canada and benefit Canadian patients and the
health-care system
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The Centre for Innovation achievement highlights for 2015–2016 include:
317 peer-reviewed publications, including articles in high-impact journals such as Nature
Communications, Blood, Lancet Hematology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and Journal of
Immunology. The average H-index of 26 of the Centre’s core investigators reflects their productivity and
citation impact, and has increased from 2014-2015 highlighting a successful year for the Centre for
Innovation.
23 technical reports shared within Canadian Blood Services and with partners. Subject-matter expertise
and data included in these reports informed product and process improvements.
48 professionals formally trained through its national training program.
Over 150 oral and poster presentations at national and international conferences.
Over 70 major education events organized or supported, attracting an estimated 7,700 professionals.
These included the Canadian Blood Services Annual International Symposium, the 10th Annual
Transfusion Medicine Education videoconference in partnership with Ontario Regional Blood
Coordinating Network, and the expansion of the Transfusion Medicine Camp in partnership with Drs.
Callum and Lin.
Rapid development of evidence-based donor deferrals in response to the Zika outbreak in South and
Central America and the Caribbean to ensure the continuing safety of the Canadian blood supply.
Two Health Canada license amendments supported to achieve process improvements while maintaining
safety and quality:
 Approval for a new skin disinfection method for donors who have sensitivity to the primary
chlorhexidine-containing disinfection method.
 An extension of the acceptable post-thaw storage period of cryosupernatant plasma from 24
hours to five days.
The launch of two science communication initiatives in collaboration with Canadian Blood Services
Public Affairs: a monthly Research and Education Round Up newsletter and RED – our research,
education, and discovery blog.
Publication of systematic reviews and clinical guidelines to influence clinical practice. In 2015-2016, this
included development of recommendations for two clinical practice guidelines and updates to four
chapters in the Clinical Guide to Transfusion.
Significant milestones were reached in research partnerships with McMaster University and The Ottawa
Hospital to link large databases and apply a “big-data” approach to investigate the impact of donor and
product characteristics on transfusion recipient outcomes.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
2
Overview of the Centre for Innovation
Through the Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services conducts and facilitates research and
education activities in transfusion and transplantation science and medicine. This report outlines the
progress of the Centre during 2015-2016 and highlights key achievements that relate to the Centre’s goal
of contributing to the safety, quality, and supply of blood components and related biologics. These
successes were made possible by the continued funding to the Centre for Innovation from Health Canada,
the provincial and territorial ministries of health, and our partners. The blood donors who make our
research possible are also gratefully acknowledged.
Our research and education network
Instrumental to the Centre for Innovation’s research expertise are 11 principal investigators (bolded
names throughout the report): seven who lead discovery research laboratories and four who conduct
targeted research around product and process development. Employees of Canadian Blood Services, these
investigators are integrated with the organization to effectively respond to its research needs. These
investigators are also cross-appointed to Canadian academic institutions, allowing for the leveraging of
resources and expertise available through those institutions.
Complementing this core research group, the Centre for Innovation engages 29 Canadian Blood Services
medical experts and epidemiologists (bolded names throughout the report). This group provides medical
expertise, contributes to medical research initiatives and, along with the 11 principal investigators,
addresses the education needs of the organization and of the transfusion and transplantation system.
Over the last year, Canadian Blood Services’ research and education internal network was strengthened
by contributions from 27 external investigators. These investigators are Canadian academic researchers
leading research projects funded through the Centre’s competitive research and training programs. The
Centre’s network is also strengthened nationally and internationally through partnerships with industry,
blood operators around the world, academia, and not-for-profit organizations and associations, 38 of
which were formalized during the year.
Our activities
In 2015-16, the Centre’s competitive funding programs initiated or continued funding of 55 research
projects, 49 trainee awards, and three Program Support Awards. The product and process development
group worked on 54 targeted research projects in support of Canadian Blood Services’ supply chain or
with industry partners (see Appendix 1 for a list of all projects). The Centre also organized or supported
72 educational events and programs. Finally, a research, education and discovery (R.E.D.) blog and a
monthly e-newsletter were launched to further disseminate the outcomes of those activities.
Internationally, the Centre continued its leadership role in the development of clinical guidelines through
the activities of the International Collaborative for Transfusion Medicine Guidelines and in evidencebased decision making by further developing and facilitating the use of a Risk-Based Decision-Making
Framework for Blood Safety.
The Centre for Innovation staff administer these programs while leveraging Canadian Blood Services’
financial, legal, information technology, communication, and human resources services.
Research and development progress
Canadian Blood Services has continued to undertake and facilitate targeted research and development to
ensure that Canada’s healthcare system is well positioned to address emerging medical and scientific
trends in transfusion and transplantation, risks, opportunities, and technologies, and to lead change for the
benefit of patients and donors.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
3
Safety and sufficiency of the blood supply
Donors and donations
Mandatory reading for all donors, the pre-donation reading material provides information on possible
complications of donation and the risks of transmissible disease to transfusion practice. Drs. Sheila
O’Brien and Mindy Goldman studied donor attention to this reading material, which relates to health of
donors and the safety of donations and may therefore impact the sufficiency and safety of the blood
supply.1 Overall, the study suggests that pre-donation reading material may not be an effective education
tool, particularly for repeat donors. While first-time donors were relatively attentive, the study revealed a
low motivation to read the material, particularly in repeat donors. Donors are reluctant to read any more
than they deem necessary, a decision based on how they perceive the relevance or importance of the
information. Poor literacy may also play a role in the effectiveness of the material. These findings will
guide our organization in developing more appropriate alternatives, including educational messages
facilitated by technology, such as short messages attached to appointment reminders.
Canadian Blood Services tests all blood donors for hemoglobin prior to donations to ensure the health of
the donors. In June 2015, the DiaSpect machines used to measure donor hemoglobin became unavailable.
A replacement, the CompoLab hemoglobinometer, was assessed by Dr. Jason Acker and found to meet
the analytical and ease-of-use requirements of the organization. However, when the old and new systems
were compared, the results indicated a significant difference in analytical performance when measuring
identical samples, suggesting that the number of donors deferred because of a low hemoglobin
measurement (<125 g/L) would change once the new system was implemented.2, 3 Dr. John Blake
conducted a study to estimate the projected change to donor deferrals and concluded that the new
CompoLab hemoglobinometer would result in an increase in the proportion of individuals deferred from
donating blood,4 affecting the sufficiency of the blood supply. A trial of the new hemoglobinometers was
instituted and conducted by Dr. Goldman, including an algorithm permitting staff to retest hemoglobin in
donors failing the initial fingerstick test. If the donor is in agreement, a second fingerstick sample is
obtained and measured twice. If both repeat measurements are over the cutoff threshold, the donor is
accepted. The trial results, analyzed by our epidemiology group, demonstrated that with the new
algorithm, donor hemoglobin deferral rates would be approximately equal to those with the DiaSpect
machines. Deferral rates in the year post-implementation of the CompoLab machines using the new
testing algorithm have been similar or slightly below what they were using DiaSpect. Careful evaluation
prior to implementation permitted the organization to take appropriate steps to maintain the adequacy of
the blood supply. Further work on reducing hemoglobin deferrals will require enhanced donor education
about iron needs and reduced frequency of donation in female donors.
On July 22, 2013, Canadian Blood Services changed the deferral period for men who have sex with men
(MSM) from a permanent deferral to a five-year deferral. Drs. O’Brien, Goldman and colleagues
examined data following this change.5, 6 The results showed no impact on safety, with unchanged HIV
rates in donations in the two years of post-implementation monitoring. A donor survey revealed that
although there was no change in the percentage of male donors with recent male partners, overall donor
compliance improved, suggesting a potential positive impact on safety of the blood supply. Finally, the
change led to a modest increase in the number of eligible MSM donors. Based on these encouraging data
and information from other blood operators, a submission to Health Canada has been made to further
decrease the MSM deferral to a one-year deferral.
Blood-borne pathogens
Horizon scanning is essential to maintain readiness for emerging infectious diseases in Canada and
internationally. In 2015, the biggest concern for emerging infectious agents came from mosquito-borne
pathogens, in particular Chikungunya, dengue virus, and, more recently, Zika virus. While the mosquitos
that transmit these pathogens do not survive in Canada, they are found in many areas popular with
Canadian travelers, including Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, and the southern United States.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
4
International travel is commonplace among Canadian Blood Services’ donors, as demonstrated by a
recent survey conducted by Drs. O’Brien, Goldman, and colleagues in which more than half of donors
reported travel abroad.7 The rapid spread of Zika in Mexico, Central and South America, and the
Caribbean in 2015 required an equally rapid response from Canadian Blood Services to ensure the
continued safety of the Canadian blood supply. Under the leadership of Canadian Blood Services chief
medical and scientific officer Dr. Dana Devine, a risk assessment was conducted by Drs. Margaret
Fearon, O’Brien, and Goldman in collaboration with Héma-Québec’s Drs. Gilles Delage and Marc
Germain, to determine an appropriate travel deferral period for blood donors (Response to Zika Clarifax,
2016). A 21-day temporary travel deferral period was justified and found to offer an extremely wide
margin of safety for the possible transmission of Zika following transfusion. The new temporary 21-day
waiting period was implemented on Feb 5, 2016 and later officially approved by Health Canada.
Learning about infectious threats to the blood system is the first step in knowing how to manage the risks,
and Centre for Innovation investigators have made some critical discoveries on this front within the past
year. Dengue is the most common arbovirus and a pathogen of concern to blood systems, particularly
those in endemic regions. Transmitted through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes (like its close cousins West
Nile virus and Zika virus), symptoms range from mild flu-like symptoms to, in rare cases, severe
hemorrhagic fever, which can be fatal. The global burden of dengue virus is considerable: Approximately
2.5 billion people are at risk and almost 400 million people are infected every year, of whom about
25,000 die. Blood donor systems are vulnerable to dengue virus, and although it is mostly in tropical and
subtropical regions, travel and increasing globalization means it remains an emerging infectious threat.
In 2015, research by Dr. Ed Pryzdial
advanced the fundamental understanding
Blood platelets do not have a nucleus, the part of the
of how dengue virus replicates. The
cell where genetic material and much of the
researchers showed that the dengue virus
genome is replicated and dengue viral
machinery to replicate that material is found. So in
proteins are synthesized by blood
the past, platelets have not really been considered a
platelets.8 Further research revealed that
cell in which viruses could replicate. In recent years
even at low levels of virus that mimic an
it’s been discovered that platelets can do part of the
asymptomatic donor, infectious dengue
job. They can convert RNA to protein. Now in this
virus persists and its genome can
study, we show for the first time that dengue virus
replicate in platelet and red blood cell
enters platelets and uses this machinery to replicate
9
units stored under standard conditions.
its RNA-based genome and to synthesize viral
Knowing that the virus can survive and
proteins to begin its life-cycle.
replicate in fresh blood components
helps all blood operators to better
Dr. Ed Pryzdial
understand the risks posed by dengue,
and it helps Canadian Blood Services
choose appropriate donor deferrals for travel to regions in which dengue and other viral risks are
endemic.10
Ebola is another emerging pathogen that continued making the headlines in 2015. The devastating Ebola
outbreak in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea resulted in over 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.
With limited spread outside of west Africa, and Health Canada-approved deferral criteria in place at
Canadian Blood Services for donors who may have been exposed to Ebola, the safety risk to the Canadian
blood supply is relatively low.11 Canadian Blood Services has developed a Health Canada-approved
protocol for the collection of convalescent plasma to treat patients with Ebola in Canada, if that were to
occur. This protocol can also be utilized in other emerging infections where convalescent plasma has been
shown to be efficacious. However, the effectiveness of convalescent plasma for Ebola remains unclear,
and Ebola continues to be a public health concern of international importance with no approved and
proven vaccines or treatments in sight. Using a mini-genome model system that generates Ebola virusCanadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
5
like particles to infect cells, Dr. Don Branch with colleagues from the University of Toronto and
collaborators from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Biogen, and the National Microbiology
Laboratory in Winnipeg screened a panel of candidate drugs for antiviral activity.12 They compared the
activities of eight different antivirals, including drugs repurposed for the treatment of Ebola: type I
interferons (IFNs) and nucleoside analogs. The data indicate that IFN-ß is a potent inhibitor of Ebola
virus, contributing to the decision to conduct a clinical trial of IFN-ß treatment for Ebola virus disease in
Guinea.13 Importantly, some drug combinations inhibit Ebola replication when administered 24 hours
post-infection, a finding that has implications for clinical use, since lower doses potentially decrease sideeffects and reduce the likelihood for the emergence of drug resistance. These studies set the stage for both
preclinical and clinical evaluations of potential Ebola treatments.
While the threat of Ebola to the Canadian blood system is extremely low, development of effective
affordable treatment options will play a role in containing future outbreaks of this devastating disease. In
a different approach involving collaborators from Serbia, The Netherlands and the United States, Dr.
Branch applied in silico methods, focusing on approved and experimental drugs with the aim of
identifying inhibitors of Ebola virus infection.14 Applying well-established criteria, ibuprofen was
selected as the best candidate for Ebola virus disease treatment and a mechanism of action was proposed.
The findings suggest further investigation of ibuprofen and ibuprofen-inspired drugs as inexpensive, lowtoxicity, and widely accessible candidates for use in the treatment of Ebola should be considered.
One approach that could mitigate pathogenic risks in blood components is pathogen inactivation. A
research focus at Canadian Blood Services, there are numerous studies underway assessing its safety and
effectiveness. Pathogen inactivation is a blood safety approach that is broad-spectrum, in that it destroys
all viruses, parasites and bacteria (not prions) that may be present in a blood component. It is proactive in
that it removes the need to develop specific assays to test for each pathogen of concern. In Dr. Devine’s
laboratory and other Canadian Blood Services laboratories, investigations are under way examining many
aspects of pathogen inactivation technologies, including their impact on blood components from a quality
perspective, as well as studies to understand these effects at a cellular and molecular level. Pathogen
inactivation was a major topic at a knowledge exchange event with Health Canada in November 2015
titled Blood Safety in Canada: Where are we today? In this event, Dr. Devine addressed an audience
comprised mainly of members of Health Canada’s Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB), as well as
some attendees from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health
Research (CIHR). Dr. Devine provided an overview of pathogen inactivation technologies used by blood
operators around the world, presenting Canadian Blood Services’ research undertaken to inform
development of this new technology. She discussed the system-level challenges in implementing
pathogen inactivation in Canada. In Europe, both Mirasol and INTERCEPT pathogen inactivation
technologies are approved, have been in use for over a decade, and have gained widespread acceptance
and adoption. Currently in Canada, no pathogen inactivation technology is licensed; however, a clinical
trial involving Canadian Blood Services is underway to investigate the Mirasol pathogen reduction
system (TerumoBCT) in platelets (the PREPAReS trial). The Cerus INTERCEPT system, which was
recently approved for use with platelets and plasma in the United States, is seeking licensure in Canada.
Among other challenges, successful implementation of pathogen inactivation technologies in Canada will
require stakeholder engagement and acceptance by physicians and transfusion recipients.
To aid in policy development and implementation of strategies such as pathogen inactivation, Canadian
Blood Services’ medical director Dr. Kathryn Webert and adjunct scientist Prof. Nancy Heddle were
part of a study with colleagues from McMaster University to understand awareness of blood system
practices in Canada and to assess opinions regarding pathogen inactivation and health risk perceptions
among the Canadian public.15 The findings of this email-based survey showed low reported knowledge of
pathogen inactivation among the Canadian public and mixed opinions: the majority of those surveyed
agree with its use and yet many were hesitant about the addition of chemicals associated with pathogen
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
6
inactivation. Increasing public awareness about pathogen inactivation will be beneficial to the successful
implementation and acceptance of this new (to Canada) approach to blood safety.
Adverse transfusion reactions
Adverse transfusion reactions can occur in a patient following transfusion of blood products.
Understanding how and why those reactions occur can help to improve the safety of the blood supply.
Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) presents as acute respiratory distress after a transfusion
and is a leading cause of transfusion-related mortality. However, there is little understanding of the basic
mechanisms of TRALI. As noted by Dr. Webert in an editorial in Transfusion, TRALI is a complex
syndrome about which much remains to be known. Some of the confusion around TRALI may be because
this is potentially multiple diseases with many causes, prognoses, and means of treatment or prevention.16
Canadian Blood Services in partnership with CIHR funds operating grants aimed at better understanding
TRALI. Dr. John Semple, a Canadian Blood Services adjunct scientist from the Keenan Research Centre
for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, has developed two mouse models to address
the recipient factors that may play a role in the development of TRALI, based on the hypothesis that
recipient cellular and soluble immune factors play a significant role in inducing and modulating TRALI
reactions. Using these models, Dr. Semple and his group recently demonstrated that C-reactive protein, a
marker of infection and inflammation, mediates antibody-dependent TRALI.17 This finding links TRALI
and inflammation and lends support to the theory that systemic inflammation is a risk factor for the
development of TRALI. Dr. Semple is continuing his investigations and is collaborating with Dr.
Wolfgang Kuebler, also from St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto, and a recipient of
Canadian Blood Services / CIHR funding to study the mechanisms of antibody-independent TRALI.
Together, they have described and visualized alveolar dynamics in the acutely injured lung.18 Dr. Kuebler
has developed a mouse model to study the effects of aged versus fresh platelets on lung injury and has
identified a key role of lipid mediators named ceramides in inducing lung injury. Their findings are
furthering the fundamental understanding of TRALI and will have implications for the safety of
transfusion products.
In another study relating to transfusion recipient safety, Dr. Goldman, in collaboration with Canadian
Blood Services’ colleagues Drs. Debra Lane and Webert, along with Robert Fallis, assessed the
prevalence of the K (also called Kell or KEL1) red blood cell antigen in Canadian prenatal patients.19, 20
Similar to the D antigen, K is important as K-negative women who develop anti-K antibodies can be at
risk of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). In some jurisdictions, women of childbearing potential are transfused with K-compatible blood to reduce the risk of HDFN. To understand if
this practice should be considered in Canada, the rate of anti-K antibodies in pregnant women and the
likely cause (i.e. previous transfusion or previous pregnancy) was investigated. This study showed a
history of transfusion is a risk factor for developing anti-K antibodies and suggests that providing Kmatched blood to prevent anti-K antibodies from developing in younger females may be an effective way
to reduce the incidence of HDFN in Canada and other countries that have not yet adopted this practice.
Blood products: Red blood cells
With almost 760,000 units delivered
to hospitals annually, red blood cells
are the most common biologic
Canadian Blood Services distributes.
Red blood cells are produced from
whole blood using one of two
methods at Canadian Blood
Services: the whole blood filtration
method or the buffy coat method.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
7
Two unique research collaborations exploring red blood cell product characteristics and patient outcomes
reached milestones this year. Prof. Nancy Heddle, a Canadian Blood Services adjunct scientist from
McMaster University, and Dr. Dean Fergusson from The Ottawa Hospital collaborated with the Centre
for Innovation to link hospital databases that included the outcomes of over 50,000 transfused patients
with Canadian Blood Services’ data describing the almost 280,000 red cell products these patients
received. The Ottawa Hospital database was also linked to the CIHI database. Both of these large
retrospective studies were funded through the Canadian Blood Services / CIHR operating grant program
and included Canadian Blood Services’ collaborators Drs. Acker, Webert and O’Brien. 21-24 In an
impressive feat of big data mining, the researchers showed that the health outcomes of patients after
transfusion are associated with blood donor age, donor sex, and the manufacturing method used to
separate the red blood cells from whole blood. These studies are the first to demonstrate associations
between patient outcome (mortality) and whole blood processing method, donor sex and age. Specifically,
the McMaster study observed an association between in-hospital mortality and exposure to fresh (storage
days 1-7) whole blood filtration-produced red cells, suggesting that this product may be associated with a
greater risk of harm compared with red cells produced by the buffy coat method and stored for 8-35 days.
Regarding donor sex, two associations with increased risk of in-hospital mortality were observed: females
receiving male red blood cells, and males receiving red blood cells from females younger than 45 years of
age,22 suggesting that clinical outcomes in transfused patients may be negatively impacted by donorrecipient sex discordance. Similarly, The Ottawa Hospital study observed an association between
transfusion of red cells from female donors and increased risk of mortality. Transfusion of red blood cells
from donors under 30 years of age was also associated with an increased risk of mortality.23 These
Canadian studies are at the forefront of a new era in transfusion medicine, using a "big data" approach to
permit in-depth interrogation of the factors impacting transfusion outcome. However, while the
associations these studies revealed are intriguing, it is worth noting that as retrospective studies using
secondary data, both studies were designed to generate hypotheses and do not demonstrate cause and
effect. Before any changes to the blood system would be considered, these findings need to be
independently verified in further studies. Additional analyses and follow-up studies are now underway.
There are some parallels between the findings in the McMaster and The Ottawa Hospital studies
regarding the age of blood and the recently published Age of Blood Evaluation (ABLE) multicenter
randomized controlled trial in critically ill adults, which had hypothesized that fresh red cells stored for
less than eight days would be superior to standard-issue red cells. However, the findings of ABLE
showed transfusion of fresh red cells, as compared with standard-issue red cells, did not decrease the 90day mortality among critically ill adults.25 There are many potential reasons that ABLE and other
randomized controlled trials did not see poorer outcomes with older blood as had been hypothesized. As
discussed in a recent JAMA editorial penned by Dr. Acker with Dr. Philip Spinella from Washington
University, the length of storage of the red blood cell products may not be the only critical variable that
needs to be evaluated in future prospective randomized controlled trials; there are a number of donorspecific and product manufacturing-specific factors that influence product quality and these need to be
considered and assessed.26 Understanding the relationship between manufacturing methods, donor factors
and red blood cell quality and ultimately recipient outcomes will help blood operators to ensure the safety
and efficacy of transfused products. This is an active area of research at the Centre for Innovation,
facilitated by the extensive body of data Canadian Blood Services maintains on our products. As well as
quality control data, a large part of our product knowledge comes through the Quality Monitoring
Program (QMP), a unique program introduced in 2005 and led by Craig Jenkins as part of the product and
process development group. To better understand quality parameters, a series of biological markers
associated with each of our blood products was developed through the QMP. These markers go beyond
regulatory requirements and now comprise over a decade’s worth of invaluable data on the products we
produce, setting the stage for in-depth analysis of the factors that impact product quality.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
8
Much of the work to understand the factors that impact product quality is being led by Dr. Acker. For
example, in a study completed in 2015, Canadian Blood Services’ quality control data were linked with
manufacturing and donor records for 28,227 red cell concentrates. The results, published in Vox
Sanguinis, showed that stored red blood cell characteristics are influenced by pre-storage processing and
donor factors.27 Another recent study compared the two manufacturing processes used at Canadian Blood
Services and assessed the concentration, size, and lipid composition of extracellular vesicles in the
resulting red blood cell components. Differences were found depending on the manufacturing method,
particularly in the cellular source of extracellular vesicles.28
Building on previous work showing that the manufacturing method used to produce red blood cell
components affects in vitro measures of product quality, Dr. Acker collaborated with Dr. Sonia Bakkour
and colleagues at Blood Systems Research Institute in San Francisco. By teaming up, the researchers
were able to study red blood cell units manufactured using nine different processes.29 They looked at the
levels of DAMPs or damage-activated molecular patterns, specifically microparticles and mitochondrial
DNA (mtDNA) present in blood, which
may indicate cellular damage. Both
We think that our research could lead to finding ‘the
microparticles and mtDNA are thought
best’ way to manufacture red blood cells. It’s clear
to lead to inflammation and may play a
role in adverse reactions in transfusion
now that manufacturing methods matter. We and our
recipients. Across the nine
respective research sponsors — Health Canada, US
manufacturing methods, clear differences
National Institutes for Health, Heart, Lung and Blood
were observed in microparticle counts
Institute are keen to explore what’s in the blood bag
and mtDNA levels, suggesting that
or in the filters or in the tubing, for example, that can
different manufacturing processes cause
be minimized or eliminated, improving the outcome in
variable levels of damage to the red
patients who receive blood transfusions.
blood cells. Future work is planned to
determine what aspect of the
Dr. Jason Acker
manufacturing process cause damage,
and to investigate the impact of donor
factors.
Also in 2015, two studies looked at red blood cell quality for pediatric transfusions. In work conducted by
Drs. Devine and Acker in collaboration with the global health care company Fresenius-Kabi, the quality
of red blood cells in three different types of bags designed for pediatric transfusion was compared.30-32
Currently red blood cells in Canada and many other jurisdictions are stored in polyvinyl chloride bags
plasticized with di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). However, there are public health concerns around the
use of DEHP, particularly in neonatal and pediatric patients. Two alternative plasticizers were assessed,
and the results indicated that a less toxic plasticizer called DINCH may represent a viable alternative to
DEHP. The results of this research aids Fresenius-Kabi as they continue their development of bags with
alternative plasticizers that will be safer for pediatric patients.
Together with Dr. Robert Ben at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Acker has been experimenting with small
molecule ice recrystallization inhibitors to improve the storage of frozen red blood cells.33, 34 Red blood
cell freezing, or cryopreservation, is used to preserve units that have rare phenotypes as well as for
autologous storage and military uses. Ice recrystallization during thawing and freezing, which causes
cellular damage, is a major limitation of the cryopreservation process. Currently high glycerol
concentrations (40% v/v) and slow freezing rates are used to limit the cellular damage, but these novel ice
recrystallization inhibitors permit use of lower (15% v/v) levels of glycerol. These inhibitors have been
shown to mitigate red blood cell lysis during freezing, transient warming and thawing, and have the
potential to improve the post-thaw viability of frozen red blood cells. Use of these novel inhibitors could
help improve the quality and efficacy of frozen red blood cell with rare phenotypes, a precious and
limited resource for difficult-to-match patients in need of transfusion.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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In 2015, we saw the culmination of a broad-ranging multiyear “bench-to-bedside” study conducted in Dr.
Acker’s laboratory, in partnership with Haemonetics, to investigate, implement, validate, and monitor a
new red blood cell washing apparatus at Canadian Blood Services.35 With the introduction of any new
process within our organization, the primary goal is to maintain patient safety. Implementing the ACP215 red cell washing system resulted in a blood product with a longer shelf-life that not only ensured
patient safety but also improved blood product utilization. The new washing system has clear advantages
over the old; most importantly, longer storage time after washing (from one day to one week), which has
reduced the number of washed red blood cells that are discarded, limiting product wastage, saving money,
and improving efficiency.36-38 It has made it easier for Canadian Blood Services to provide washed
products to hospitals and for the hospitals to provide those washed products to the patients that need
them. Since the new system was introduced, the use of washed red blood cells has increased at hospitals
while, in a study published this year involving Canadian Blood Services’ medical director Dr. Barbara
Hannach and colleagues, safety and transfusion efficacy were maintained.39 Interestingly, there was a
small decrease in the number of units transfused per transfusion episode after implementation, reducing
the exposure of recipients to blood products.
Investigations into novel methods to assess red blood cells before transfusion also progressed in 2015. Dr.
Devine, in collaboration with Drs. Robert Turner and Michael Blades at the University of British
Columbia made advances on their efforts to apply Raman spectroscopy – a non-destructive testing
method – to red blood cells.40, 41 An advantage of this approach is that it can be used on red blood cells in
their storage bag without compromising the sterility of the units. It is being applied to determine storage
and donor-related changes in red blood cells, and, although still at the proof-of-concept stage, the findings
suggest there may be benefit in developing a Raman instrument for the rapid non-invasive assessment of
blood-bag biochemistry. Canadian Blood Services’ Dr. Mark Scott, in collaboration with Dr. Hongshen
Ma in a Canadian Blood Services / CIHR-funded project, have continued their developments into a
microfluidics device that measures red blood cell deformability. This device measures deformability on a
single cell level, requiring very small volumes, and, using this device, the researchers showed consistent
degradation of red blood cell deformability over storage. The device was also able to show significant
donor variability in red blood cell quality and storage capacity, indicating its promise as a method to
individually assess the quality of stored red blood cell units.42
Managing the blood products necessary to ensure every patient has access to the right product at the right
time is an everlasting cycle of supply and demand. Universal O-negative blood is in high demand, as it
can be transfused in emergency situations when there is no time to test the patient’s blood type. For that
reason, 12 per cent of hospital requests Canadian Blood Services receives are for O-negative blood;
however, only about seven per cent of Canadians have this blood type. While Canadian Blood Services’
O-negative donor base is above the national average at 10 per cent, this donor group is consistently asked
to donate every 56 days to keep up with hospital demand. This is difficult to sustain and results in an
imbalance between the supply and demand for O-negative blood. ‘Making’ type O blood using other red
blood cells could help reset the balance. This year, in a study partly funded by Canadian Blood Services /
CIHR and led by Drs. Stephen Withers and Jay Kizhakkedathu, both from the University of British
Columbia, the concept of universal blood was brought closer to reality.43, 44 The researchers improved a
naturally occurring enzyme that can cleave A and B antigens away from the red blood cell surface in such
a way that a much smaller amount of the enzyme is needed to cleave a much higher percentage of
antigens. This brings us one step closer to a practical method for making a blood type that can be
transfused into most people.
Through its Canadian Blood Services / CIHR operating grants, Canadian Blood Services is funding some
basic research that ultimately aims to reduce the use of blood products. Trauma or surgical procedures
often require the use of large amounts of transfused blood products. Dr. Donald Brooks at the University
of British Columbia has been working on polymer-induced hemostasis – an approach to reduce blood loss
in these situations, and, consequently, reduce blood use. His laboratory has successfully developed two
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
10
types of adherent sealant polymers that arrest red blood cells by two different mechanisms. One approach
uses choline phosphate groups on the surface of a pad that interacts with red blood cells and platelets and
forms a strong adhesion. However, choline phosphate groups cannot yet be synthesized in the commercial
quantities that would be needed to develop this approach. Therefore, an alternative polymer was
developed that works by a different mechanism, binding red blood cells effectively and forming an
aggregated web that will arrest all blood cells without engaging the clotting system.45
Currently, type-matched donor red blood cells are the only way to replace oxygen-carrying capacity. With
funding from a Canadian Blood Services / CIHR grant, Dr. Ronald Kluger at the University of Toronto
has been working on a safe and effective hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier that could be used to replace
red blood cells in situations where transfusion products are unavailable or limited, such as in remote
areas. Dr. Kluger’s work involves chemical transformation of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in
red blood cells, into an alternative oxygen carrier that can be given to patients in need. Clinical trials of
first generation versions of stabilized hemoglobin revealed an unexpected side effect – an increase in
blood pressure due to the hemoglobin reacting with nitric oxide. Dr. Kluger and his group are working to
alter hemoglobin to form a cross-linked version that cannot react with nitric oxide, but that is stable, safe
and still capable of oxygen transport.46 They have also successfully stabilized another red blood cell
protein, superoxide dismutase, which removes potentially toxic free radicals and will be important to have
in co-circulation with modified hemoglobin.47 Dr. Thomas Ming Swi Chang from McGill University has
been developing a novel soluble nanobiotechnological complex that can carry out the major functions of
red blood cells.48 This complex has been successfully freeze-dried, allowing it to be stored for extended
time periods and to be pathogen inactivated, and the researchers are working to make this complex more
commercially viable.49,50
Blood products: Platelets
Platelets are small, anucleate cells that
circulate at the periphery of the blood
stream and play a key role in the
formation of blood clots. Many
conditions can lead to low platelet
counts and require transfusion to manage
the increased risk of bleeding. Canadian
Blood Services supplies approximately
116,000 platelet doses a year.
As platelets lose their ability to function when stored in the cold, they must be stored at room temperature
with constant gentle agitation to allow for gas exchanges. This requirement increases the risk of bacterial
growth if the unit is contaminated, leading to short storage times and inventory problems. While
transfusion reactions due to contaminated platelets are rare, they remain a challenge for the industry as
they can be fatal.
Dr. Sandra Ramirez-Arcos leads the development research group that supports Canadian Blood
Services in implementing appropriate processes to minimize bacterial contamination. Preventing bacterial
contamination begins at the donor interview and health check, which screens for any donors who may be
ill. Disinfection of the donor’s skin before donation is the next line of defense, together with diversion of
the first portion of the blood draw. These are critical steps as bacteria that live harmlessly on the skin’s
surface can cause serious reactions if transfused. However, while disinfection and diversion are effective
they are not perfect, and the risk of bacterial contamination remains (estimated at about 0.01 per cent of
platelet components).51 At Canadian Blood Services, the primary skin disinfection method is a one-step
(two per cent chlorhexidine/70 per cent alcohol-containing) swabstick method. For the approximately
three per cent of blood donations at Canadian Blood Services that report sensitivity to chlorhexidine, an
alternative two-step method using a 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol scrub followed by an ampoule of two
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
11
per cent iodine tincture was used, but this was discontinued by the manufacturer in October 2015. Dr.
Ramirez-Arcos together with Dr. Goldman assessed alternative disinfectants and another two-step (10
per cent povidone-iodine swabstick followed by isopropanol swabstick) method was found to be as
efficient as the former primary skin disinfection method.52, 53 A Health Canada license amendment for this
change was approved in 2015-2016, and this method replaces the discontinued product.
Currently, all platelet components are screened for possible bacterial contamination in an automated
culture-based system using samples drawn on day one and monitored throughout the platelets’ five-day
storage period. Dr. Ramirez-Arcos investigated the pH SAFE system, a noninvasive method that allows
for repeated measurement of the pH platelet components, as a rapid method to detect bacterial
contamination in platelet components. Her group found that a significant decrease in pH could serve as an
indicator of clinically significant levels of bacterial contamination; however, differences in pH decline
were observed among bacterial species. It was concluded that this system would be best used for
continuous pH monitoring in platelet components or as a point-of-care device.54
The quality of platelets declines during storage in a phenomenon called the “platelet storage lesion”. The
mechanisms and effects of this storage lesion has long been an active area of research at Canadian Blood
Services. In Canada, platelets are stored in plasma, but storing platelets in an additive solution may
improve their long-term storage quality. In collaboration with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service,
Dr. Devine explored the effect of storing platelets in an additive solution called SSP+ with a minimum
(20 per cent) amount of carryover plasma for an extended storage period.55 Plasma is an important source
of glucose for stored platelets and the results showed glucose exhaustion occurred between days seven
and 10 of storage and was associated with pro-apoptotic changes in the platelets. The findings suggest
extension of the platelet shelf-life beyond seven days is not possible when the platelets are stored in an
additive solution lacking glucose and the unit has a low percentage of plasma carryover.
In a study funded by a Canadian Blood Services / CIHR operating grant, Dr. Patrick Provost from
Université Laval has been investigating platelet microRNAs during storage under blood bank conditions.
Through this work, important novel insights into platelet microRNAs were gained, including how they
regulate protein expression in platelets and in other cells and how they are affected by storage of platelet
concentrates and by treatments such as pathogen inactivation. Despite lacking a nucleus, platelets contain
messenger (m)RNA and can synthesize protein. MicroRNAs are known to mediate mRNA translational
repression through proteins of the Argonaute (Ago) family. In 2015, the Provost group published a study
showing that platelet activation is associated with removal of the mRNA repression of Ago2 and TIA-1
protein complexes through their rearrangement.56 Further, it was shown that thrombin-activated platelets
release microparticles that contain functional protein-microRNA complexes and that can be internalized
by other cells and impact their transcriptome. 57-59 The role of microRNAs and these microRNAcontaining microparticles in thrombosis and hemostasis remains unclear, as do the implications of these
findings in transfusion medicine. However, as platelets may be activated and release microRNAcontaining microparticles during manufacturing or storage, this intriguing finding warrants further
investigation. These in vitro studies have shown that pathogen inactivation may exacerbate platelet
activation and decrease platelet microRNA and mRNA levels,60, 61 supporting the possible release of
microRNA in microparticles in response to pathogen inactivation.
This year, a protocol for the PREPAReS clinical trial exploring pathogen inactivation of platelets was
published.62 Designed to assess the clinical effectiveness of standard versus pathogen-reduced buffy-coatderived platelet concentrates in plasma in hemato-oncological patients, PREPAReS involves centres in
The Netherlands, Norway, and here in Canada, where one academic centre and four hospitals are
participating. Under the leadership of Canadian Blood Services adjunct scientist Prof. Nancy Heddle, the
McMaster Transfusion Research Program (MTRP) is acting as the Canadian Clinical Research Officer
(CRO). Canadian Blood Services is supplying pathogen inactivated (Mirasol Pathogen Reduction
technology, TerumoBCT) platelet concentrates in plasma for this study. Enrolment for this trial is
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
12
expected to be completed in 2016. This trial will provide information for the implementation of pathogen
inactivation technologies in Canada.
In a study funded by Canadian Blood Services / CIHR, Canadian Blood Services’ medical officer Dr.
Donald Arnold from McMaster University has been investigating the mechanisms behind immune
thrombocytopenia (ITP) and their association with clinical outcomes. People with ITP have a low platelet
count and, as platelets control bleeding, a tendency to bleed. There are multiple possible causes, but,
broadly speaking, in ITP either platelets are being destroyed, often by an immune mechanism, or
insufficient platelets are being made by megakaryocytes, the large precursor cells of platelets that are
found in the blood marrow. Dr. Arnold and his team developed a tool for growing healthy
megakaryocytes in the laboratory.63 Using this megakaryopoiesis tool, the researchers have screened
serum from ITP patients and healthy controls to determine whether megakaryocytes respond differently.
Initial results suggest that compared to healthy controls, megakaryocyte growth may be slowed when
serum from ITP patients is added. The researchers are currently working to improve this assay and to
isolate the factors in serum that may be responsible for the effect. Together with Canadian Blood
Services’ medical consultant Dr. Michelle Zeller, Dr. Arnold has authored a manuscript on optimal ITP
treatment strategies, including one that showed that using a thrombopoietin receptor agonist was
associated with improved platelet counts and fewer IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) infusions for
most patients, and should reduce the need for reliance on platelet transfusions.64
Research from Canadian Blood Services’ scientist Dr. Heyu Ni has also been exploring platelet
generation. Dr. Ni’s group has begun investigations into thrombopoietin, a hormone that regulates the
production of platelets from megakaryocytes. They found that mice lacking a platelet receptor called
GPIbα have less thrombopoietin, indicating that this receptor may be important in thrombopoietininduced platelet production. These findings were presented as an oral presentation at the American
Society of Hematology meeting in December 2015 and could have implications for understanding basic
platelet biology and in better understanding ITP and its treatments.65
Blood products: Plasma, plasma products, and plasma product replacement
Plasma is the protein-rich liquid
component of blood that
supports the immune system
and controls excessive bleeding.
It is transfused to prevent or
treat bleeding. Canadian Blood
Services distributes
approximately 135,000 plasma
doses annually. Plasma may be
directly used for transfusion in
patients, or it can be processed
into cryoprecipitate and
cryosupernatant plasma. These two plasma derivatives are enriched in different clotting factors needed by
different patients. Additionally, much of the plasma collected by Canadian Blood Services is sent to
international companies for fractionation to make plasma-derived protein products such as IVIG.
Current regulations require cryoprecipitate plasma, once thawed, to be kept at ambient temperature and
transfused within 4 hours. The laboratory of Canadian Blood Services’ senior scientist Dr. William
Sheffield, with Craig Jenkins from the product and process development group, showed that extending
this storage period to 24 hours resulted in no significant losses in activity of the four key proteins within
this product: fibrinogen; von Willebrand factor; factor XIII; and factor VIII.66 As cryoprecipitate is often
pooled prior to transfusion, the team also examined two different pooling methods, again finding no
significant difference in factor retention between the methods. These results could lead to regulatory
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
13
changes and reductions in wastage of this plasma-derived product, provided that the extension in storage
time does not provide an opportunity for bacterial growth. Based on previous work from Dr. Sheffield,
Dr. Ramirez-Arcos and Craig Jenkins, in early 2016 a Health Canada license amendment was made to
extend the post-thaw storage of another plasma product, cryosupernatant plasma, from 24 hours to 5 days
post-thaw.
IVIG is a plasma-derived protein product that contains the pooled antibodies of thousands of donors.
Used for a variety of diseases, and often off-label, IVIG is an expensive treatment option. Finding
alternatives to IVIG is an active area of research, the first step of which is to better understand how IVIG
works. Understanding how IVIG and other immune globulin plasma protein products work in different
diseases and exploring potential replacement products continued to be a prime focus for Canadian Blood
Services research efforts over the past year.
IVIG is often the drug of choice to treat ITP, but it is in limited supply, extremely expensive, and its
efficacy varies from patient to patient. Work from the laboratory of Dr. Ni showed that in some patients
with ITP in whom IVIG therapy is ineffective, drugs called sialidase inhibitors could be effective. This
research showed that anti-GP1bα antibodies implicated in the destruction of platelets in ITP, induce
platelet desialylation, and that inhibiting sialidase ameliorated anti-GPIbα-mediated platelet loss in
mice.67 Taking these findings into the clinic, an ITP patient who had anti-GPIb autoantibody who was
refractory to other treatments was successfully treated with a sialidase inhibitor. The Ni laboratory, in
collaboration with colleagues in Dr. Alan Lazarus’ laboratory, also demonstrated that CD8+ T cells limit
the severity of thrombocytopenia and are required for an efficacious response to steroid therapy.68 These
newly described mechanisms of platelet destruction in ITP suggest potential new ways to diagnose and
treat this bleeding disorder. Using a test to identify patients who will not respond to IVIG could prevent
unnecessary use of this drug and limit harmful side effects in patients who will not benefit from receiving
this treatment in the first place. Importantly, this research also shows that platelet destruction in the liver
can be blocked using sialidase inhibitors.69 Sialidase inhibitors are commercially available as antiinfluenza drugs and may be a potential treatment for ITP patients who do not respond to other treatments.
The Ni laboratory also made advances in
understanding the mechanism of fetal and neonatal
Our research challenges the idea that low
alloimmune thrombocytopenia or FNAIT, a severe
platelet counts are responsible for fetal
and potentially fatal bleeding disorder in fetuses and
newborns in which maternal antibodies attack fetal
brain bleeds and instead shows that the
platelets. This work demonstrated for the first time
immune system's attack on the new blood
that the intracranial bleeds associated with FNAIT,
vessel cells in the brain are more likely
which can lead to brain damage, death, and loss of the
responsible.
fetus, are caused by more than just low platelet
Dr. Heyu Ni
counts. Antibodies against beta 3 integrin prevented
proper formation of blood vessels in the brain and in
the eye, strongly suggesting that the major cause of
intracranial bleeding is impairment of blood vessel formation.70, 71 This research changes the previously
held view of what causes intracranial bleeding in FNAIT. It opens other research questions for
investigation: how beta 3 integrin contributes to blood vessel formation; and how platelets contribute to
blood clotting in developing fetuses. Importantly, this research suggests that giving IVIG may prevent
intracranial bleeds associated with FNAIT.
Dr. Lazarus’ laboratory provided new insights into the mechanism of action of anti-D and a potential
replacement product. The RhD antigen is a clinically important human blood group that can be a primary
target in hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), a condition in which an RhD-negative
mother generates antibodies against her RhD-positive baby that can cause destruction of baby’s red blood
cells. Polyclonal anti-D is a pooled donor-derived plasma product that is supplied by Canadian Blood
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
14
Services to doctors for the prevention of HDFN,
and it is highly effective for this purpose. In fact,
Dr. Alan Lazarus was the recipient of the
anti-D works so well that HDFN is now a very rare
2015 Tibor Greenwalt Memorial Award
disease in Canada. As a pooled donor-derived
and Lectureship from the AABB in
product made from plasma, it is desirable to replace
recognition of his outstanding contributions
it with a laboratory-made recombinant product.
to the understanding of immune-mediated
However, although anti-D has been highly
cytopenias and the development of
successful, its inhibitory mechanisms remain poorly
recombinant immunoglobulins for specific
understood, and understanding these mechanisms is
therapies for autoimmune hemolytic anemia
the first step in developing alternatives. Dr.
and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Lazarus and his group explored one potential
mechanism in a mouse model. They assessed the
contribution of FcγR and found that successful
inhibition of antibody responses to red blood cells by polyclonal IgG can occur independently of
activating or inhibitory FcγR involvement.72
As well as prophylaxis for HDFN, anti-D has been used to treat ITP, although again, its mechanism of
action is unclear. In a mouse model, Dr. Lazarus investigated a monoclonal antibody with anti-D-like
activity in immune thrombocytopenia. They discovered that this antibody requires Fc domain function for
immune thrombocytopenia ameliorative effects.73 In more recent work, Dr. Lazarus and colleagues have
been investigating the effects of monoclonal vs. polyclonal antibodies, and their data indicate that
monoclonal antibody blends may be as effective as polyclonal antibodies in preventing alloimmunization,
paving the way for potential rational design of antibody mixtures to replace anti-D.
The Lazarus laboratory, together with Dr. Sheffield’s laboratory, made significant advances toward
developing a new therapy for ITP. The researchers engineered a monovalent protein that was a fusion of
antibodies against Fc-gamma-RIII and albumin. This novel monovalent protein targets Fc-gamma-RIII
but does not cause side effects, providing a first-in-class therapy for antibody-mediated ITP. Recently,
albumin-coupled drugs have been approved for the treatment of other disorders, paving the way for this
novel fusion protein to be developed as a therapy for ITP. If developed into a therapy, this fusion protein
could be a safer treatment for patients, and it could reduce the use of IVIG for ITP, which is very
expensive for the health care system. 74, 75 In another collaborative effort, Drs. Lazarus and Sheffield,
demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of antibodies against CD44, a major leukocyte adhesion
molecule. They demonstrated that an anti-CD44 antibody can prevent phagocytosis (destruction) of red
blood cells by macrophages and elucidated the specific macrophage pathways involved in this effect. The
hope is that this broadly anti-inflammatory CD44 antibody could be used in a number of auto-immune
disorders, including ITP, and may represent a viable IVIG replacement in the future.76
Despite IVIG’s success in treating many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, significant sideeffects of high-dose IVIG are becoming apparent, particularly severe hemolysis in patients that have nonO blood groups. Dr. Branch’s laboratory has proposed underlying inflammation as a potential cause of
this hemolysis in patients receiving high-dose IVIG,77 helping understanding of this potentially lifethreatening adverse effect of IVIG.
Work supported by a Canadian Blood Services / CIHR grant to understand the mechanisms of ITP was
published in the journal Blood this year, and was highlighted in an ‘Inside Blood’ editorial. A study by
Canadian Blood Services’ adjunct scientist Dr. John Semple, with collaborators Drs. Lazarus and Ni,
used a mouse model of ITP that allowed the contributions of antibody- and CD8+ T-cell-mediated ITP to
be studied separately.78 This novel approach revealed a role for B cells in maintaining CD8+ T-cell
responses, improving understanding of the mechanism of ITP and helping to develop new strategies to
treat this disorder.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
15
Many of the diseases in which IVIG is
Normally, when you put white blood cells from two
used, often off-label, are autoimmune
different people in a test tube together, the cells will
disorders. Research by Dr. Scott has led
towards a potential novel therapy for
proliferate like crazy, generating more immune cells
auto-immune disorders, which could help
in order to wipe out the other “foreign” cells. The
ensure more appropriate utilization of
immune reaction turns into a type of warfare. But in
IVIG. To address the challenge of
our study, when one “side” of white blood cells was
alloimmunization, Dr. Scott developed
PEGylated, this arms race and attack on one another
an approach to fool the immune system
did not occur.
by camouflaging cellular antigens using
polymer grafting with
Dr. Mark Scott
methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG).
This approach has been shown to
successfully camouflage red blood cell antigens and those on other cells such as leukocytes.79 This year,
Dr. Scott’s work has shown that his immunocamouflage approach may lead down an unexpected path.
He has found that using immunocamouflaged cells, either in vivo or in vitro leads to a "tolerogenic" state,
that is, the immune system becomes more tolerant to foreign tissues or less prone to autoimmune
diseases. This change in the immune system is mediated by soluble factors, and further analysis showed
that the effect resides almost solely with microRNAs. These microRNAs are short (~22 nucleotides)
single-stranded RNA molecules found in all eukaryotes that are key regulators of cellular processes
including the immune response. Using a bioreactor approach, Dr. Scott and his group have reproducibly
generated and purified this fraction and called it “tolerance agent 1” or TA1. Testing TA1 in a mouse
model of diabetes, the researchers demonstrated a “reset” in the mouse’s immune system from a
proinflammatory to a more tolerant state, preventing or delaying autoimmune diabetes.80 These findings
demonstrate that miRNA-based therapeutics can effectively attenuate or arrest the autoimmune disease
processes and may be of significant use in a broad range of autoimmune diseases or in the transplantation
of foreign tissues.
Hematopoietic stem cells
Hematopoietic stem cells can renew
themselves and differentiate into the
various mature blood cells. They have
been used since the 1960s to treat
numerous malignant or nonmalignant blood disorders. Canadian
Blood Services manages a registry of
adult hematopoietic stem cell donors,
the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow
Network. Canadian Blood Services
also provides autologous hematopoietic stem cell collection, manufacturing and storage services to a few
hospitals. In 2013, Canadian Blood Services launched the Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank, a
national public cord blood bank.
Stem cell transplantation from cord blood is associated with slow cell engraftment leading to long delays
in the recovery of mature blood cells, such as platelets. As a result, patients transplanted with stem cells
from cord blood require more blood transfusions and may have an extended hospital stay. Recent trials
have shown that the expansion of stem cells from cord blood before transplantation could accelerate
recovery of mature blood cells. However, recovery of platelets remains problematic. Dr. Nicolas
Pineault, in collaboration with Héma-Québec, identified a new means to expand cord blood cells that
raise their expansion and improved their capacity to produce platelet when transplanted. This strategy is
based on the use of osteoblast conditioned medium (OCM). Initial results are promising, showing that
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
16
OCM induces greater expansion of
progenitors that produce mature cells such as
neutrophils and platelets compared to
standard medium.81 Work is on-going to
better understand the impact of OCM on the
growth of cord blood hematopoietic stem and
progenitors responsible for the production of
blood cells and to elucidate the cellular
mechanisms.
We are trying to create larger numbers of cells
through a cellular engineering approach where
we place the cord blood cells in a culture to
expand them before we transplant them in the
patient. The hope is that this approach could
help patients recover faster and reduce the need
for further interventions.
Dr. Nicolas Pineault
In a big step forward for cord blood research
and development at Canadian Blood Services,
Dr. Pineault, together with his colleagues in the product and process development group Ken McTaggart,
Craig Jenkins and Dr. Acker, established “NetCAD4Cord”. NetCAD4Cord is a replica of Canadian
Blood Services’ cord blood hematopoietic stem cell production process and will allow the group to test,
optimize, and develop new processes outside of the production environment. Over the past year, work to
set up the laboratory space, replicate all of the operating procedures conducted at the Canadian Blood
Services’ Cord Blood Bank, validate the equipment and train staff was completed and NetCAD4Cord has
begun quality monitoring and development projects.
The product and process development group have also supported the Canadian Blood Services’ Cord
Blood Bank in optimizing a thawing protocol that can be used internally for the bank’s stability program
as well as externally by stem cell transplant programs for transplantation into patients. There are many
aspects to be considered in developing an appropriate protocol. Dr. Pineault tested a number of different
thawing solutions, and the amount of thawing solution necessary, temperature and dilution steps were
established. The impact of these on cell quality, viability, count and stability post-thaw were assessed, and
a protocol that leads to superior post-thaw viability than the previous protocol was chosen. Canadian
Blood Services was also invited to participate in a World Marrow Donor Association multicentre study
with Héma-Québec. This study aims to standardize a flow cytometry method for thawed cord blood
samples, by assessing the reproducibility of flow cytometry-based analyses of CD45+ and CD34 + cord
blood cells among the Canadian cord blood banks and a number of European cord blood banks. This
method will be used to assess the quality of the cord blood stem cells.
Dr. Acker is a collaborator on a project funded by the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine related
to the Cellular Therapy for Septic Shock (CISS) clinical trials. The goal of the CISS trial program is to
test the safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of septic shock, a devastating
critical illness. Led by Canadian Blood
Services adjunct scientist Dr. Lauralyn
Dr. McIntyre and her research team have the
McIntyre and Dr. Duncan Stewart from The
potential to deliver exciting new cellular therapy
Ottawa Hospital, among other aims this
project will determine whether cryopreserved
with this project. We hope our expertise in the
mesenchymal stem cells are comparable to
preservation of cells and tissues at sub-zero
fresh ones for multi-centre trials and to
temperatures and our experience in biologics
determine whether optimized
manufacturing and distribution can ultimately
cryopreservation strategies result in an
help speed up the use of this technology.
improved product. Dr. Acker will provide
Dr. Dana Devine
expertise and conduct experiments related to
the development of mesenchymal stem cell
cryopreservation protocols.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
17
Organ and tissue donation and transplantation
The Centre for Innovation, in consultation with Canadian Blood Services’ organ and tissue donation and
transplantation group, supports research that furthers our knowledge in the area of organ and tissue
donation and transplantation.
Through its James Kreppner Fellowship program, Canadian Blood Services supports Maeghan Toews
from the University of Alberta to study legal and policy strategies to optimize organ donation in Alberta.
This encompasses a variety of topics in organ donation and transplantation relating to the question of how
our organ donation system can be improved in an ethically and legally acceptable manner. The work
specifically relates to issues of consent for donation, mandatory referral of potential deceased donors,
incentives for living and deceased donation, and donation after cardiocirculatory death. This
interdisciplinary project has engaged a wide range of stakeholders including clinicians from the transplant
and critical care communities, patient groups, organ donation organizations, and policymakers, as well as
other academics in law, ethics, and policy, both within Canada and internationally. The work has
contributed to Canadian National Transplant Research Program’s (CNTRP) Fast Policy Facts
documents82 and engagement and dissemination has been high, with many speaking engagements as well
as dissemination through the media in television, radio, newspaper, and magazine articles and interviews.
Also through the James Kreppner fellowship, Prof. Vanessa Gruben from the University of Ottawa has
been supported to investigate organ donation in Canada: Engaging with stakeholders and proposing
solutions to current legal and ethical challenges. Her work focuses on organ donation after cardiac death
(DCD), with the objective of establishing a better understanding of the factors that affect family decisionmaking and their experiences of DCD. Having better information regarding families’ experiences with
DCD will subsequently inform the development of policy to increase the number of DCD donors in
Canada in a legally and ethically appropriate manner. Prof. Gruben is also studying the legal and ethical
aspects of allowing people who are competent and close to death to donate their organs once they are
deceased. This is an issue in two populations in Canada: patients who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS) and individuals who have requested physician-assisted dying. To date, there is little analysis of the
legal and ethical principles that must be considered when an individual in these circumstances makes a
request to donate his or her organs and this project seeks to fill this important gap.
Canadian Blood Services also funds the Kenneth J. Fyke Award, which supports health services and
policy research to promote the development of evidence-based practices and policies in blood transfusion,
blood stem cell transplantation, and organ and tissue transplantation for the benefit of Canadian patients.
Through this award, Dr. Maureen Meade and Dr. Frederick D’Aragon are conducting an observational
study of clinical practices in organ donations. The goal is to observe the medical management of deceased
organ donors in six centres in Ontario and Québec, including some specific medical management
strategies that are perceived to improve transplant rates. Knowledge translation, quality assurance
regarding the accuracy and completeness of collected organ donor data as well as a follow up of organ
function in recipients will also be conducted. The study is designed to have immediate clinical relevance
in this field and will pave the way for larger Canada-wide multicentre study.
Building capacity in transfusion and
transplantation science and medicine
Salary support
To attract and train professionals to the field of transfusion and transplantation sciences and medicine, the
Centre for Innovation administers competitive programs designed to support professionals at various
stages of their research careers. In the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the Centre supported 42 trainees (Table 1),
all of whom are affiliated with a Canadian research academic institution, as undergraduate or graduate
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
18
students, postdoctoral fellows, or new investigators. While the majority of award recipients complete their
training under the mentorship of a Canadian Blood Services’ principal investigator or adjunct scientist,
nine are currently conducting their training with an external group. Through these award programs, two
trainees completed an MSc or PhD during the year and received rigorous training that allow them to be
competitive in the health science environment. For example, Dr. Lidice Bernardo Reyes, who received a
post-doctoral fellowship to conduct research in Dr. Lazarus’ laboratory, recently secured a scientist
position at Sanofi Pasteur in Toronto.
Enhancements to the programs are also
My Canadian Blood Services post-doctoral
being implemented. In particular, over
fellowship award, held in Dr. Lazarus laboratory,
the last year, senior trainees have been
engaged in the review of the training
allowed me to develop rigorous research skills and
programs and in the peer-review of the
prepared me well for my scientist position at Sanofi
summer and graduate fellowship
Pasteur.
applications. These unique experiences
Dr. Lidice Bernardo Reyes
will enhance their “soft skills”, which are
essential in their professional
development.
In 2015-2016, with financial support from the Centre for Innovation and other partners, the Centre for
Blood Research supported 36 postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate and graduate students from the
University of British Columbia conducting research in 20 Centre for Blood Research laboratories (Table
1). This unique partnership between the Centre for Innovation and the Centre for Blood Research allows
Canadian Blood Services to effectively promote the next generation of researchers in the areas of
transfusion medicine and blood-related diseases.
Table 1: Number of new, ongoing, and completed training awards in 2015-2016
Program
New
Ongoing
(including renewals)
Completed
Centre for Innovation training programs
Summer internship program
10
n/a
10 internships
Graduate fellowship program
4
12
4 graduate fellowships
Postdoctoral fellowship program
2
5
3 postdoctoral fellowships
New investigator program
0
2
0
1
1 transfusion medicine
fellowship
Transfusion Medicine Diploma program
Transfusion medicine residency fellowship 2
Centre for Blood Research training programs
Summer studentship
21
n/a
Not recorded by the Centre
Graduate award program
7
5
Not recorded by the Centre
Postdoctoral transition grant
2
1
Not recorded by the Centre
The Centre for Innovation facilitates the training of transfusion medicine specialists by providing salary
support to medical fellows enrolled in the Transfusion Medicine Areas of Focused Competency (AFC)Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
19
diploma program. In 2015-2016, two new Transfusion Medicine Residency Fellowships were awarded to
fellows completing the diploma at McMaster University and University of British Columbia, and one
fellowship for a fellow at McMaster University was renewed. These fellows have already completed their
medical training as a clinical hematologist, anesthesiologist, and pediatric hematologist/oncologist,
respectively, and are seeking additional transfusion medicine specialty training through the diploma
program. Finally, one fellow completed her fellowship at McMaster University during the year and is
now an assistant professor at McMaster University, a Canadian Blood Services medical consultant, and a
Transfusion Medicine Specialist for the Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program (Table 1).
Courses and diplomas
Transfusion medicine camp
In 2012, Drs. Yulia Lin and Jeannie
Cullum from Sunnybrook Health
The best transfusion is the most appropriate
Sciences Centre established a
transfusion and that’s what we’re teaching residents.
“transfusion camp” for University of
Toronto post-graduate medical residents
Dr. Yulia Lin
from critical care, hematology,
hematopathology, obstetrics and pediatric
hemato-oncology. This five-day-a-year
camp ensures that non-transfusion medicine specialists have the knowledge they need to make
appropriate decisions when it comes to transfusion. Drs. Robert Skeate, Margaret Fearon and Nadine
Shehata from Canadian Blood Services’ medical group deliver lectures for the camp in addition to those
taught by the medical faculty.
The Centre for Innovation is also partnering with Drs. Lin and Callum, to expand the reach of the
“transfusion camp”. In 2015-2016, with the leadership of Dr. Elianna Saidenberg from The Ottawa
Hospital, the Centre facilitated the participation of post-graduate medical residents from the University of
Ottawa. Seventeen hematopathology residents were able to remotely join the five day camp delivered for
University of Toronto residents, and another 11 anesthesiology residents were able to view the recorded
lectures. In addition to the lectures, “transfusion camp” shares materials to conduct problem-based
learning seminars, as well as pre- and post-tests to evaluate knowledge gain. During the year,
representatives from Dalhousie University and University of British Columbia attended lectures to
evaluate the program. Several more universities have now confirmed their participation in the 2016-2017
camp that will begin on July 22, 2016, including universities in Hamilton, Ottawa, Kingston, London,
Halifax, Vancouver, and Oxford (UK). The Centre for Innovation committed staff and technology (e.g.,
GoToWebinar and SharePoint software) to facilitate webcasting, lecture recording, and dissemination of
materials, helping to make the expansion of the transfusion camp a success. This partnership is one way
the Centre demonstrates its commitment to education and knowledge sharing to promote excellence in
transfusion practice.
Transfusion medicine diploma program
The Transfusion Medicine diploma program is an Areas of Focused Competency (AFC)-Diploma
Program in Transfusion Medicine accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
The program is delivered in partnership between five Canadian universities and Canadian Blood Services.
Established in 2001, the program has been essential in establishing a strong physician community of
transfusion medicine specialists in Canada. The Canadian Blood Services component of the diploma
program is now led by Dr. Skeate, and several members of the Canadian Blood Services’ medical group
are also course directors at their local medical schools (Dr. Tanya Petrazsko at University British
Columbia, Dr. Arnold at McMaster University, Dr. Wendy Lau at University of Toronto).
In 2015-2016, partnerships were established to further expand the program. A partnership was developed
with the University of Alberta to enable the participation of one of their transfusion medicine fellows in
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
20
the Canadian Blood Services’ component of the diploma program. In addition, Canadian Blood Services
has established a partnership with Héma-Québec and the University of Toronto to facilitate the
completion of the diploma program by fellows from Québec. One Héma-Québec fellow completed her
fellowship during the year and a second started her fellowship. These partnerships strengthen the national
impact of the Transfusion Medicine diploma program and thus the Canadian transfusion community.
Education events
In 2015-2016, the Centre for Innovation delivered, on its own or in partnership, 72 education events,
which attracted an estimated 7700 professionals (Table 2).
Staff from the Centre for Innovation organize an annual international symposium. This year’s symposium
focused on blood-borne pathogens, a theme that is pertinent to the ongoing discussion around the
potential implementation of pathogen inactivation technology in North America. Co-chaired by Drs.
Sheffield and Webert, the symposium updated physicians, medical laboratory technologies, and
researchers on current knowledge and challenges in the field. The presentations, delivered by four
international and four national experts, focused on three themes: defense against pathogens; detection of
pathogens; and destruction of pathogens. The Continuing Medical Education-accredited event was wellreceived by attendees, and the majority (98%) agreed that the event enhanced their knowledge in a
manner that was applicable to their work or practice. To further disseminate the knowledge shared at this
one-day event, the presentation slides for seven of the presentations are available on
www.transfusionmedicine.ca. In addition, a symposium report was published in Transfusion Medicine
Reviews.83
Through the Program Support Award to the Centre for Blood Research and the activities of Canadian
Blood Services scientists located at the Centre for Blood Research, the Centre for Innovation contributed
to the Annual Norman Bethune Symposium, the Centre for Blood Research’s Research Day, and the Earl
W. Davie Symposium. Attendance at these events reached almost 200 attendees. The events were also
broadcasted live and archived on the Centre for Blood Research website. The Program Support Award
also allows the Centre for Innovation to contribute to the Centre for Blood Research Seminar series,
which have average attendance of 80-140 attendees and are also broadcasted live to increase the reach of
the events.
The Centre for Innovation, with the
leadership of Canadian Blood Services’
Through these partnered educational events,
medical directors, works in partnership
Canadian Blood Services and ORBCoN promote best
with provincial blood coordinating
transfusion practices to over 800 health care
offices to deliver educational events.
professionals every year.
These events are targeted primarily to
health-care professionals working in
Dr. Peter Lesley
Canadian hospitals and involved in the
transfusion of blood products and are
essential for their continued learning. The events highlight new practices and guidelines and provide
access to experts, who may not be available in smaller hospitals. Dr. Peter Lesley, with the Ontario
Regional Blood Coordinating Network (ORBCoN), co-organized the 10th Annual Northern and Eastern
Ontario Annual Transfusion Medicine Education Videoconference. The 2015 program focused on
“Patient Blood Management: Optimizing Patient Outcomes”. To increase the reach of this
videoconference, the Knowledge Mobilization group organized “Knowledge to Munch On: Focus on
Clinical Education” to allow Canadian Blood Services’ staff from across Canada to attend the event.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
21
Table 2: Key education events organized by the Centre or delivered in partnership in
2015-2016
Event (Location)
Primary Partner
# of Attendees
Audience
120
Health care professionals,
researchers, industry
representatives, Canadian Blood
Services staff
“Knowledge to Munch On” N/A
Webinar series – five events
(Webinar)
155, 147, 134, 146,
156
Canadian Blood Services staff and
volunteers, American Red Cross
staff, Health Canada staff
Learn Transfusion Seminar Canadian Blood
Series – 23 events
Services medical
(Webinar)
directors
50 per event
Health care professionals
Events led by the Centre for Innovation
Canadian Blood Services
Annual International
Symposium (Toronto)
N/A
Events delivered in partnership
Norman Bethune
symposium (Vancouver,
broadcast)
Centre for Blood
Research
200
Researchers, health care
professionals, basic science and
clinical trainees, members of the
public, industry representatives,
Canadian Blood Services staff
Earl W. Davie symposium
(Vancouver, broadcast)
Centre for Blood
Research
190
Researchers, health care
professionals, basic science and
clinical trainees, members of the
public, industry representatives,
Canadian Blood Services staff
CBR Research Day
(Vancouver)
Centre for Blood
Research
180
Researchers, health care
professionals, basic science and
clinical trainees, members of the
public, industry representatives,
Canadian Blood Services staff
Centre for Blood Research Centre for Blood
weekly seminar series – 31 Research
events (Vancouver,
broadcast)
80-140 per event
Researchers, health care
professionals, basic science and
clinical trainees, members of the
public, industry representatives,
Canadian Blood Services staff
Centre for Blood Research Centre for Blood
summer seminar series – Research
eight events (Vancouver)
80-140 per event
Researchers, health care
professionals, basic science and
clinical trainees, members of the
public, industry representatives,
Canadian Blood Services staff
10th Annual Transfusion
Medicine Symposium
(Ottawa, broadcast)
Ontario Regional Blood 841
Coordinating Network
Health care professionals primarily
in northern and eastern Ontario,
Canadian Blood Services staff
Canadian Blood Services leverages national and international events to educate the community. The
Centre for Innovation contributes financially to the Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Annual
Meeting and, in collaboration with Héma-Québec and other key members of the transfusion community,
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
22
develops the scientific and workshop programs. In 2015, Dr. Debra Lane was a member of the scientific
committee that identified topics of importance. The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis
2015 Congress was held in Toronto. Dr. Arnold was the chair of the transfusion scientific program
subcommittee and Drs. Ni and Pryzdial were on the platelets and coagulation factors and inhibitors
scientific subcommittees, respectively.
Through the BloodTechNet competition,
the Centre for Innovation funds
In addition to recruiting stem cell donors, our stem
innovative projects aimed at delivering
cell club equips medical students with leadership
educational tools and resources that
opportunities and skills to become health advocates
support the development of skills,
for patients in need. Our initiative empowers students
knowledge, and expertise of health
to become leaders in Canadian healthcare.
professionals in the transfusion, cellular
therapy, and transplantation communities
Dr. Warren Fingrut
in Canada. In 2015, Dr. Warren Fingrut
received funding for “The Stem Cell
Club: Educating Medical Students about Stem Cell Transplantation”. The Stem Cell Club, which equips
medical students with skills to become health advocates for patients in need of stem cell transplants, is
developing an evidence-based volunteer training program that can be expanded nationally.
Internally, the Centre for Innovation provides educational opportunities to Canadian Blood Services’ staff
across the organization through “lunch and learn” webinars. These events, organized by the Centre’s staff,
showcase presentations by Canadian Blood Services’ research groups and highlight the impact of ongoing
research projects on the blood system and operators. To expand the reach of these events, invitations are
extended to colleagues from Health Canada and American Red Cross, as well as Canadian Blood Services
volunteers. To further extend the reach of these events, recordings are available on the Canadian Blood
Services intranet for Canadian Blood Services’ staff. Over the last year, five events were organized
attracting a total of 738 attendees.
Education materials
Original articles and resources
The Centre for Innovation manages www.transfusionmedicine.ca, an education website for health-care
professionals involved in transfusion of blood products. The site provides original resources, as well as
links to reliable resources developed by other organizations.
The Centre for Innovation, with the editorial leadership of Canadian Blood Services Medical Associate
Dr. Gwen Clarke, publishes regular updates to the “Clinical Guide to Transfusion”. This invaluable
online resource for health-care professionals is written in collaboration with Canadian Blood Services’
medical group and Canadian experts. The 18-chapter guide provides a practical summary, in both English
and French, of our current knowledge of blood components and transfusion medicine practices. During
the last year, four chapters were updated.84-87
In 2015-2016, in addition to updates to the Clinical Guide to Transfusion, the following original resources
were published. “Molecular immunohematology at Canadian Blood Services: red cell antigen
genotyping” by Drs. Goldman, Kristin Hannaford, Judith Hannon, and Philip Berardi.88 Eight
ResearchUnits, which provide clear summaries of the results and impacts of research conducted at
Canadian Blood Services, were published.10, 20, 21, 30, 35, 44, 74, 89 Written by Canadian Blood Services’
researchers in collaboration with the Knowledge Mobilization group, these summaries help in the
dissemination of research findings to facilitate informed decision-making.90
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
23
Science communication
This year the Centre for Innovation, in collaboration with Canadian Blood Services’ Public Affairs
division, launched several new science communication initiatives. Compiled by science communications
specialist Jenny Ryan, a monthly Research and Education Round Up was launched on Aug 31, 2015.
This monthly electronic newsletter delivers information, including news, events, publications and
resources about the activities of Canadian Blood Services’ Medical Services and Innovation research and
education network. The initial distribution of this newsletter was predominantly internal: the Canadian
Blood Services Medical Services and Innovation research and education network; the Executive
Management Team, the Board of Director and Public Affairs. After an initial trial period, the newsletter
was launched as a “Mail Chimp” version in October 2015. The newsletter currently has 196 subscribers,
both internal and external, and an open rate of 40 per cent, which compares favorably to the industry
average rate of 23 per cent. Total opens for each newsletter edition is around 300 or more, suggesting
subscribers are sharing the newsletter with colleagues. Beginning in April 2016, the Research and
Education Round Up was made available for the public to subscribe.
Launched on Feb 10, 2016, RED – our research,
education, and discovery blog can be found on the publicly
accessible blood.ca website. The blog aims to tell Canadian
Blood Services’ research, education and discovery stories, as
well as to introduce the people and places behind our
research in blood science and transfusion medicine and
cellular therapies (in particular blood stem cells), as well as
organ and tissue transplantation. This medium has proved
highly impactful, particularly its integration with social
media: the most-read post has been read over 600 times; five
posts on Facebook reached about 42,000 people; six
research-related tweets on Twitter received about 30,000 impressions. In addition to showcasing the work
of the Centre for Innovation, the blog stories provide a new approach to educate the public in transfusion
and transplantation science and medicine.
Leveraging expertise through collaborations
As demonstrated by the many research projects and education activities highlighted in this report, the
Centre for Innovation leverages internal expertise and the expertise of external stakeholders through
formal and informal arrangements. In the last year, 38 new formal partnerships were established or
renewed. This collaborative approach allows the Centre to extend its reach while remaining within its
financial and expertise constraints. In this section, large collaborative activities are highlighted.
Clinical guidelines and leading practices
Health-care systems around the world are experiencing rising health-care costs, fueled by increased
demand for care, more expensive technologies, and an aging population. Clinical guidelines and leading
practices, combined with effective knowledge translation and implementation strategies, help address this
problem by improving patient care and outcomes while at the same time increasing efficiencies through
reduction of inappropriate and unnecessary treatments.
Research in donation and transfusion and transplantation medicine has evolved substantially in the past 20
years. As more studies and clinical trials are conducted, the body of evidence has grown and, with it, the
ability to develop timely, evidence-based clinical guidelines and leading practices. As part of knowledge
mobilization work led by Sylvia Torrance, Centre for Innovation Associate Director Policy Research and
Leading Practices, the Centre is in the process of developing a standardized methodology for the
development of systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines, and leading practices. Bringing together
Canadian Blood Services expertise in organs and tissues, stem cells, and transfusion, the methodology
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
24
being developed follows internationally recognized processes, such as those described by Cochrane,
GRADE, and AGREE II. It is expected to improve the quality, credibility, relevance, and ease of
implementation of guidelines and good practices developed at Canadian Blood Services. Globally, many
organizations have recognized the opportunity to reduce the costs of developing clinical guidelines by
eliminating duplication through collaboration and alignment of priorities. The Centre for Innovation has
initiated discussions with various international partners to explore potential solutions.
More specifically for transfusion practice, the Centre for Innovation continues to support the International
Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine Guidelines (ICTMG) group, under the leadership of Dr. Nadine
Shehata. The ICTMG consists of transfusion medicine experts from eight countries. In 2015, the group
conducted three systematic reviews that are being used to develop evidence-based recommendations for
two clinical practice guidelines: management of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia and red
cell specifications for patients with hemoglobinopathies. Both guidelines deal with conditions that can
have serious health impacts on patients, and the goal is to decrease morbidity and mortality in these
patient groups.
The ultimate goal of the ICTMG is to influence clinical practice in order to improve patient care.
Recognizing that digital technology and social media are effective ways of disseminating knowledge to
health care professionals, the group is developing tools to support the implementation of its guidelines
and a website to ensure effective access to those tools.
Blood operations
As a member of the Alliance of Blood Operators (ABO), Canadian Blood Services participates in
international collaborative activities aimed at strengthening the operations of blood operators and the
blood system in general. Over the last year, the Centre for Innovation internal network of medical and
scientific experts contributed to the annual ABO horizon scan. This scan provides a view into global
trends in the blood sector, such as the protracted decline in demand for red blood cells and fresh plasma,
the potential impact of personalized medicine on transfusion practice, and the effect of social changes on
blood donor recruitment and retention. The scan provides an opportunity for members to share views on
the potential impact and alternative management approaches to some key common issues and to identify
opportunities for a shared approach. Another key activity of the ABO is to facilitate knowledge exchange
across its membership to identify and promote good practice and encourage performance improvement.
The exchange of information under the ABO Confidentiality Agreement facilitates timely access to such
information. Finally, over the last year, eight ABO members have developed a common framework to
better understand the research and development programs led by their respective organizations. While in
its infancy, the framework will facilitate the development of best practices to improve research and
development program performance, and it may promote collaborative initiatives.
Blood safety
The Risk-Based Decision-Making (RBDM) Framework for
Blood Safety, which was created under the auspices of the
ABO with the leadership of Judie Leach-Bennett and Sheila
Ward of the Centre for Innovation, was published online in
September 2015, along with multiple tools. Access to this
toolkit facilitates the application of RBDM to blood safety
decisions
Blood operators are currently using the RBDM toolkit for
real-time blood safety decisions. For example, Canadian
Blood Services has completed an assessment of the current
and long-term risk of Babesia to the national blood supply91
and is now using the framework to undertake an analysis of
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
25
cytomegalovirus screening;92 Australia is assessing options for management of HTLV-1 screening; and
the UK is considering options for changes to acupuncture deferral. The Centre for Innovation is also
assisting the AABB in using the RBDM framework and tools to assess the risk of Babesia to the United
States’ blood supply.
Global collaboration will enable blood operators to share risk data and analyses in order to optimize the
safety of the blood supply for patients, to allocate resources in proportion to the magnitude and
seriousness of the risk, and to assess and incorporate the medical/scientific, social, economic, and ethical
factors that may affect decisions about risk.
The RBDM framework and tools can be found at https://riskframework.allianceofbloodoperators.org.
Research services
The Centre for Innovation continues to facilitate blood and cord blood research by providing unique
research products to reseachers across Canada. Through Canadian Blood Services netCAD facility in
Vancouver, researchers have access to the gamut of blood products. Those products are collected from
deferred donors and thus contribute to the continued positive engagement of those donors with Canadian
Blood Services. In 2015-2016, a total of 1974 research products (which include apheresis and pooled
platelets, buffy coats, plasma, red cell units, whole blood units, specimen tubes and apheresis chambers)
were distributed to 50 research projects (31 internal and 19 external to the Centre) across Canada. The
Cord Blood for Research Program, established in 2014 by the Cente for Innovation in partnership with the
Cord Blood Bank, continued to provide valuable research samples. In the last year, 236 cord blood
samples were distributed to 11 projects across Canada. In addition, the group has developed processes to
distributed frozen cord blood stem cell samples to researchers. This new research product will be made
available to the research community in July 2016.
Governance
Canadian Blood Services continues to provide a sound governance structure for the Centre for Innovation
research and education program. Oversight is provided by the external Scientific & Research Advisory
Committee and by the Safety, Research & Ethics Committee of Canadian Blood Services’ Board of
Directors. Specific research ethics oversight is provided by Canadian Blood Services’ Research Ethics
Board (REB), in accordance with the provisions of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for
Research Involving Humans -- TCPS 2 (2014). In 2015-2016, the REB reviewed 37 new research
applications and renewed 62 applications, to ensure adherence to national ethics standards by all research
projects supported by Canadian Blood Services. Complementing the work of the REB, a new element of
bioethics oversight was introduced this year in order to address increasingly complex ethical challenges
associated with emerging medical procedures and technologies as well as biological discoveries and
biomedical advances. In response to emerging trends related to the biological products and services
Canadian Blood Services offers, an external Bioethics Advisory Committee has been established, with the
leadership of the Centre for Innovation, to inform policy development and education in the application of
ethical principles to these system-level ethical challenges.
In addition, there has been continued attention to good governance practices in the administration of
Centre for Innovation programs. All competitive research and training funding programs (11
competitions) have been conducted by the Centre for Innovation with strictly observed peer-review
processes and appropriate financial controls. In addition, a SharePoint platform was implemented to
optimize efficiency in the peer-review process. These and all other Centre for Innovation programs are
governed by a Performance Measurement Framework. The Centre for Innovation reports on performance
and progress against stated objectives and an annual workplan, as well as on overall impact, to Canadian
Blood Services’ Executive Management Team and Board of Directors, Health Canada, and to the
Provincial/Territorial Blood Liaison Committee.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
26
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lung injury. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 927-9.
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Spinella PC, Acker J. Storage duration and other measures of quality of red blood cells for
transfusion. JAMA. 2015; 314: 2509-10.
Jordan A, Chen D, Devine D, Acker J. Using blood bank quality control data to analyze
manufacturing and donor variability. Transfusion. 2014; 54: 42A.
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mitochondrial DNA damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) in stored red blood cells.
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Devine DV. An investigation of red blood cell concentrate quality during storage in paediatricsized polyvinylchloride bags plasticized with alternatives to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP).
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red blood cell vesiculation rate without altering the lipid composition of the vesicles. Transfus
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recrystallization inhibitors mitigate red blood cell lysis during freezing, transient warming and
thawing. Sci Rep. 2016; 6: 23619.
Capicciotti CJ, Kurach JDR, Turner TR, Mancini RS, Acker JP, Ben RN. Small molecule ice
recrystallization inhibitors enable freezing of human red blood cells with reduced glycerol
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Acker JP. ResearchUnit: Bath time for blood cells: Improving the red blood cell washing
process. Transfusionmedicineca website. 2015.
Hansen A, Yi QL, Acker JP. Quality of red blood cells washed using the ACP 215 cell
processor: Assessment of optimal pre- and postwash storage times and conditions. Transfusion.
2013; 53: 1772-9.
Hansen AL, Turner TR, Yi QL, Acker JP. Quality of red blood cells washed using an automated
cell processor with and without irradiation. Transfusion. 2014; 54: 1585-94.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
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51.
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53.
54.
55.
Hansen AL, Turner TR, Kurach JDR, Acker JP. Quality of red blood cells washed using a
second wash sequence on an automated cell processor. Transfusion. 2015.
Acker JP, Hansen AL, Yi Q-L, Sondi N, Cserti-Gazdewich C, Pendergrast J, Hannach B.
Introduction of a closed-system cell processor for red blood cell washing: Postimplementation
monitoring of safety and efficacy. Transfusion. 2016; 56: 49-57.
Atkins CG, Buckley K, Chen D, Schulze HG, Devine DV, Blades MW, Turner RFB. Raman
spectroscopy of stored red blood cells: Evaluating clinically-relevant biochemical markers in
donated blood. Clinical and Biomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging IV. 2015; 9537: 95370X.
Buckley K, Atkins CG, Chen D, Schulze HG, Devine DV, Blades MW, Turner RFB. Noninvasive spectroscopy of transfusable red blood cells stored inside sealed plastic blood-bags.
Analyst. 2016; 141: 1678-85.
Matthews K, Myrand-Lapierre M-E, Ang RR, Duffy SP, Scott MD, Ma H. Microfluidic
deformability analysis of the red cell storage lesion. J Biomech. 2015; 48: 4065-72.
Kwan DH, Constantinescu I, Chapanian R, Higgins MA, Kotzler MP, Samain E, Boraston AB,
Kizhakkedathu JN, Withers SG. Toward efficient enzymes for the generation of universal blood
through structure-guided directed evolution. J Am Chem Soc. 2015; 137: 5695-705.
Withers SG, Kizhakkedathu J. ResearchUnit: Breakthrough brings universal blood a step closer to
reality. Transfusionmedicineca website. 2015.
Wen J, Weinhart M, Lai B, Kizhakkedathu J, Brooks DE. Reversible hemostatic properties of
sulfabetaine/quaternary ammonium modified hyperbranched polyglycerol. Biomaterials. 2016;
86: 42-55.
Singh S, Dubinsky-Davidchik IS, Yang Y, Kluger R. Subunit-directed click coupling via doubly
cross-linked hemoglobin efficiently produces readily purified functional bis-tetrameric oxygen
carriers. Org Biomol Chem. 2015; 13: 11118-28.
Siren EM, Singh S, Kluger R. Bioorthogonal phase-directed copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne
cycloaddition (pdcuaac) coupling of selectively cross-linked superoxide dismutase dimers
produces a fully active bis-dimer. Org Biomol Chem. 2015; 13: 10244-9.
Chang TMS. Red blood cell replacement, or nanobiotherapeutics with enhanced red blood cell
functions? Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2015; 43: 145-7.
Bian Y, Guo C, Chang T. Temperature stability of poly-[hemoglobin-superoxide dismutasecatalase-carbonic anhydrase] in the form of a solution or in the lyophilized form during storage at
−80°C, 4°C, 25°C and 37°C or pasteurization at 70°C. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2016; 44:
41-7.
Guo C, Gynn M, Chang T. Extraction of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and carbonic anhydrase
from stroma-free red blood cell hemolysate for the preparation of the nanobiotechnological
complex of polyhemoglobin–superoxide dismutase–catalase–carbonic anhydrase. Artif Cells
Nanomed Biotechnol. 2015; 43: 157-62.
Ramirez-Arcos S. Ten years of platelet screening for bacterial contamination at canadian blood
services. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
Ramirez-Arcos S, Kou Y, Taha M, Goldman M. Evaluation of alternative skin disinfection
methods for donors allergic to chlorhexidine. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
Ramirez-Arcos S, Kou Y, Taha M, Goldman M. Selecting an alternative skin disinfection
method for donors allergic to chlorhexidine at canadian blood services. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 74.
Loza-Correa M, Perkins H, Kumaran D, Kou Y, Qaisar R, Geelhood S, Ramirez-Arcos S.
Noninvasive pH monitoring for bacterial detection in platelet concentrates. Transfusion. 2016.
Johnson L, Schubert P, Tan S, Devine DV, Marks DC. Extended storage and glucose exhaustion
are associated with apoptotic changes in platelets stored in additive solution. Transfusion. 2015.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
Corduan A, Ple H, Laffont B, Wallon T, Plante I, Landry P, Provost P. Dissociation of serpine1
mRNA from the translational repressor proteins ago2 and tia-1 upon platelet activation. Thromb
Haemost. 2015; 113: 1046-59.
Laffont B, Corduan A, Rousseau M, Duchez AC, Lee CH, Boilard E, Provost P. Platelet
microparticles reprogram macrophage gene expression and function. Thromb Haemost. 2016;
115: 311-23.
Duchez AC, Boudreau LH, Naika GS, Bollinger J, Belleannee C, Cloutier N, Laffont B,
Mendoza-Villarroel RE, Levesque T, Rollet-Labelle E, Rousseau M, Allaeys I, Tremblay JJ,
Poubelle PE, Lambeau G, Pouliot M, Provost P, Soulet D, Gelb MH, Boilard E. Platelet
microparticles are internalized in neutrophils via the concerted activity of 12-lipoxygenase and
secreted phospholipase a2-iia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015; 112: E3564-73.
Rowley JW, Chappaz S, Corduan A, Chong MM, Campbell R, Khoury A, Manne BK, Wurtzel
JG, Michael JV, Goldfinger LE, Mumaw MM, Nieman MT, Kile BT, Provost P, Weyrich AS.
Dicer1 mediated miRNA processing shapes the mRNA profile and function of murine platelets.
Blood. 2016; 127: 1743-51.
Osman A, Hitzler WE, Ameur A, Provost P. Differential expression analysis by RNA-seq reveals
perturbations in the platelet mRNA transcriptome triggered by pathogen reduction systems. PLoS
One. 2015; 10: e0133070.
Osman A, Hitzler WE, Meyer CU, Landry P, Corduan A, Laffont B, Boilard E, Hellstern P,
Vamvakas EC, Provost P. Effects of pathogen reduction systems on platelet microRNAs,
mRNAs, activation, and function. Platelets. 2015; 26: 154-63.
Ypma PF, van der Meer PF, Heddle NM, van Hilten JA, Stijnen T, Middelburg RA, Hervig T,
van der Bom JG, Brand A, Kerkhoffs JL. A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
evaluating clinical effects of platelet transfusion products: The pathogen reduction evaluation and
predictive analytical rating score (prepares) trial. BMJ Open. 2016; 6: e010156.
Ivetic N, Nazi I, Karim N, Clare R, Smith JW, Moore JC, Hope KJ, Kelton JG, Arnold DM.
Producing megakaryocytes from a human peripheral blood source. Transfusion. 2016.
Zeller MP, Heddle NM, Kelton JG, Hamilton K, Wang G, Sholapur N, Carruthers J, Hsia C,
Blais N, Toltl L, Hamm C, Pearson M-A, Arnold DM. Effect of a thrombopoietin receptor
agonist on use of intravenous immune globulin in patients with immune thrombocytopenia.
Transfusion. 2015.
Xu M, Ma L, Carrim N, Yougbare I, Li J, Chen P, Zhu G, Ni H. Platelet GPIba is important for
thrombopoietin production and thrombopoietin-induced platelet generation. Blood. 2015; 126: 12.
Sheffield WP, Bhakta V, Jenkins C. Stability of coagulation protein activities in single units or
pools of cryoprecipitate during storage at 20–24°C for up to 24 h. Vox Sang. 2016; 110: 12-9.
Li J, van der Wal DE, Zhu G, Xu M, Yougbare I, Ma L, Vadasz B, Carrim N, Grozovsky R, Ruan
M, Zhu L, Zeng Q, Tao L, Zhai Z-m, Peng J, Hou M, Leytin V, Freedman J, Hoffmeister KM, Ni
H. Desialylation is a mechanism of Fc-independent platelet clearance and a therapeutic target in
immune thrombocytopenia. Nat Commun. 2015; 6: 7737.
Ma L, Simpson E, Li J, Xuan M, Xu M, Baker L, Shi Y, Yougbaré I, Wang X, Zhu G, Chen P,
Prud’homme GJ, Lazarus AH, Freedman J, Ni H. CD8+ t cells are predominantly protective and
required for effective steroid therapy in murine models of immune thrombocytopenia. Blood.
2015; 126: 247-56.
Jansen AJG, Peng J, Zhao H-G, Hou M, Ni H. Sialidase inhibition to increase platelet counts: A
new treatment option for thrombocytopenia. Am J Hematol. 2015; 90: E94-E5.
Yougbaré I, Lang S, Yang H, Chen P, Zhao X, Tai W-S, Zdravic D, Vadasz B, Li C, Piran S,
Marshall A, Zhu G, Tiller H, Killie MK, Boyd S, Leong-Poi H, Wen X-Y, Skogen B, Adamson
SL, Freedman J, Ni H. Maternal anti-platelet β3 integrins impair angiogenesis and cause
intracranial hemorrhage. J Clin Invest. 2015; 125: 1545-56.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
Ni H. ResearchUnit: Platelets vs. Blood vessels: What causes bleeding fetuses and newborns with
fnait? Transfusionmedicineca website. 2015.
Bernardo L, Yu H, Amash A, Zimring JC, Lazarus AH. IgG-mediated immune suppression to
erythrocytes by polyclonal antibodies can occur in the absence of activating or inhibitory Fcγ
receptors in a full mouse model. J Immunol. 2015; 195: 2224-30.
Yu X, Menard M, Seabright G, Crispin M, Lazarus AH. A monoclonal antibody with anti-D–
like activity in murine immune thrombocytopenia requires Fc domain function for immune
thrombocytopenia ameliorative effects. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 1501-11.
Lazarus A. ResearchUnit: Single site solution: Engineering novel antibodies for the treatment of
ITP. Transfusionmedicineca website. 2015.
Yu X, Menard M, Prechl J, Bhakta V, Sheffield WP, Lazarus AH. Monovalent Fc receptor
blockade by an anti–Fcγ receptor/albumin fusion protein ameliorates murine ITP with abrogated
toxicity. Blood. 2016; 127: 132-8.
Amash A, Wang L, Wang Y, Bhakta V, Fairn GD, Hou M, Peng J, Sheffield WP, Lazarus AH.
CD44 antibody inhibition of macrophage phagocytosis targets Fcγ receptor– and complement
receptor 3–dependent mechanisms. J Immunol. 2016; 196: 3331-40.
Pendergrast J, Willie-Ramharack K, Sampson L, Laroche V, Branch DR. The role of
inflammation in intravenous immune globulin–mediated hemolysis. Transfusion. 2015; 55: S65S73.
Guo L, Kapur R, Aslam R, Speck ER, Zufferey A, Zhao Y, Kim M, Lazarus AH, Ni H, Semple
JW. CD20+ b-cell depletion therapy suppresses murine CD8+ t-cell-mediated immune
thrombocytopenia. Blood. 2016; 127: 735-8.
Kyluik-Price DL, Scott MD. Effects of methoxypoly (ethylene glycol) mediated
immunocamouflage on leukocyte surface marker detection, cell conjugation, activation and
alloproliferation. Biomaterials. 2016; 74: 167-77.
Wang D, Shanina I, Toyofuku WM, Horwitz MS, Scott MD. Inhibition of autoimmune diabetes
in nod mice by miRNA therapy. PLoS One. 2015; 10: e0145179.
Abu-Khader A, Bugnot G, Alsheikh M, Pasha R, Pineault N. Conditioned medium represents a
useful solution to increase the expansion of multipotent progenitors with strong platelet
engraftment activity. Blood. 2015; 126: 4276.
Toews M, Caulfield T, Nelson E, Ogbogu U, Hartell D. Rights and interests in human bodies and
biological materials. Canadian National Transplant Research Program Fast Policy Facts:
Human Bodies and Biological Materials. 2015.
Walsh GM, Shih AW, Solh Z, Golder M, Schubert P, Fearon M, Sheffield WP. Blood-borne
pathogens: A Canadian Blood Services centre for innovation symposium. Transfus Med Rev.
2016; 30: 53-68.
Goldman M, Scalia V, Devine D. Donor selection, transmissible disease testing and pathogen
reduction. In Clinical Guide to Transfusion. Edited by Clarke G, Chargé S. Published in
transfusionmedicine.ca by Canadian Blood Services, 2015.
Nahirniak S. Albumin. In Clinical Guide to Transfusion. Edited by Clarke G, Chargé S.
Published in transfusionmedicine.ca by Canadian Blood Services, 2015.
Poon MC, Goodyear MD, Lee A. Hemostatic disorders. In Clinical Guide to Transfusion. Edited
by Clarke G, Chargé S. Published in transfusionmedicine.ca by Canadian Blood Services, 2015.
Poon MC, Goodyear MD, Lee A. Coagulation factor concentrates. In Clinical Guide to
Transfusion. Edited by Clarke G, Chargé S. Published in transfusionmedicine.ca by Canadian
Blood Services, 2015.
Goldman M, Hannaford K, Hannon J, Berardi P. Molecular immunohematology at canadian
blood services: Red cell antigen genotyping. Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2016.
Ni H. ResearchUnit: Novel discovery reveals new diagnostic markers and treatment targets for
bleeding disorder. Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2015.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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90.
91.
92.
Walsh G, Chargé S. Researchunits: Development and evaluation of a knowledge mobilization
tool for transfusion medicine research. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website.
2015.
O'Brien SF, Delage G, Scalia V, Lindsay R, Bernier F, Dubuc S, Germain M, Pilot G, Yi Q-L,
Fearon MA. Seroprevalence of Babesia microti infection in Canadian blood donors. Transfusion.
2016; 56: 237-43.
O'Brien S, Fearon M, Nahirniak S, Scalia V, Preiksaitis J. Prevalence and incidence of
cytomegalovirus in blood donors and transplant patients. Canadian Society for Transfusion
Medicine Website. 2015.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
32
Appendix I: Funded projects
Summary of funded research project by program
Projects receiving funding in fiscal year 2015-2016
Total: 160
Research program
55
Canadian Blood Services/CIHR partnership operating grants
Blood utilization and conservation (20)
Transfusion-related acute lung injury (3)
Blood supply risk (3)
26
Canadian Blood Services/CIHR partnership new investigator awards
2
Intramural operating grants
9
Small projects funding
7
James Kreppner fellowships
2
Kenneth J. Fyke award
1
CIHR partnership: Transplantation research
1
Supplementary funding
7
Product and Process Development program
Deepening the understanding of our products and the processes used to
manufacture them
54
17
Developing new or next generation products and the processes used to develop them 12
Improving current generation products and the processes used to manufacture them 15
Enabling the product and process development group
4
Other
6
National training program
48
Transfusion medicine fellowships
3
Post-doctoral fellowships
10
Graduate fellowships
20
Summer internships
10
BloodTechNet awards
5
Program Support Award for Canadian Transfusion Medicine and Science
Research
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
3
i
Titles of projects funded by Research program
Note: Projects that are italicized are those for which funding was initiated in fiscal year 2015–2016.
Canadian Blood Services/CIHR Partnership National Operating Grant Program
Purpose: Blood utilization and conservation
The use of antibody-mediated immune suppression as a model in the development of a replacement for RhD
prophylaxis in haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn
Improving the cryostorage of blood products using novel small molecule cryoprotectants
Small molecule inhibitors of phagocytosis as replacement therapy for IVIg
Development of novel blood vessel and organ sealants for blood conservation in surgical practice
Platelet microRNAs during storage under blood bank conditions
Transfusion of red cells in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: the TRIST study
Tranexamic acid versus placebo to reduce perioperative blood transfusion in patients undergoing major liver
resection: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Understanding host mechanisms responsible for immune platelet destruction and thrombocytopenia
Polyhemoglobin catalase superoxide dismutase carbonic anhydrase: a novel soluble biotherapeutic with no
cardiac toxicity for hemorrhagic shock and other uses
Characterization of the hematopoietic reconstitution enhancing activity of osteoblasts derived from human
mesenchymal stromal cells
Design and implementation of circulatory oxygen therapeutics derived from human hemoglobin by improved
systematic chemical coupling and cross-linking
Release, delivery and cell programming effects of platelet microparticles and microRNAs
Microfluidic devices to measure the deformability of stored red blood cells
Understanding transcriptional and epigenetic control by Gfi1b towards the development of a therapy for sickle
cell disease
Pathogenesis and treatment of immune thrombocytopenia: are there fundamental differences between antiGPIba- and anti-GPllbllla-mediated thrombocytopenia?
Defining disease mechanisms in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and their association with clinical outcomes
Examining the relationship between repeated blood donations in female donors on maternal/neonatal
outcomes: a cohort study
Polymer-based manufacturing tolerogenic miRNA-based therapeutics
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage - red blood cell transfusion and outcome (SAHaRA): a pilot
randomized controlled trial
Myocardial ischemia and transfusion. The MINT rollover trial
Purpose: Transfusion-related acute lung injury
Mechanisms of antibody-independent transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)
Identification of host cellular immune mechanisms responsible for the initiation and/or modulation of
transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI)
Transfusion-related acute lung injury and delayed TRALI: a prospective study in critically ill children
Purpose: Blood supply risk
Transfusion-related Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection among allogeneic stem cell transplant pediatric
recipients: a multicenter prospective cohort study
Short and long-term clinical effects of blood donor characteristics in transfusion recipients
Exploratory analyses to determine if method of donor blood processing affects outcome in transfused
recipients
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
ii
Canadian Blood Services/CIHR Partnership New Investigator Program
Transfusion requirements in cardiac surgery II (TRICS II)
Code sepsis: defining and translating optimal resuscitation and care for children with septic shock
Intramural Operating Grant Program
Quality of transfusable plasma: mouse models and clinical samples
Stealth erythrocytes: from bench to bedside
Mechanism of action of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg): role of dendritic cells in stimulating T
regulatory cells
Antibodies to CD44 as a potential replacement for IVIg in ITP
Residual risk of transfusion-transmitted cytomegalovirus infection: incidence and pathogenesis
Defining the components of transfusable plasma that reduce bleeding
Elucidation of the mechanism of IVIg-associated hemolysis
Role of blood component manufacturing on microvesicle-induced transfusion-related immune modulation
Monoclonal antibodies with anti-D-like activity in the amelioration of murine immune thrombocytopenia
(ITP)
Small Projects Funding Program
Use of platelet transfusions in medical-surgical critically ill patients
Understanding brain death: a multipurpose educational video aimed to a diverse public and professional
audience
Retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes in neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) related to antiHPA-1a
Incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in pediatric oncology patients
Red cell genotyping using buccal swab DNA
Pre-transfusion furosemide for TACO
ROTEM-guided transfusion protocols – impact on the manufacturer
James Kreppner Fellowship in Blood System Studies
Legal and policy strategies to optimize organ donation in Alberta
Organ donation in Canada: engaging with stakeholders and proposing solutions to current legal and ethical
challenges
Kenneth J. Fyke Award Program
Prospective observational study of organ deceased donor management in three ICUs – a pilot study (the
DONATE pilot study)
Supplementary Funding Program
Purpose: External grant top-up
CIHR: Polymer-grafted allogenic leukocytes and systemic immune modulation
Heart & Stroke Foundation: Auxiliary cofactors in fibrinolysis
Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Innovation in regulatory science
CIHR: Pathogenesis of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia and IVIg anti-FcRn therapies
Purpose: Bridge funding
Small molecule inhibitors of phagocytosis as replacement therapy for IVIg
Impact of cord blood processing delay on the loss of engraftment activity and on the release of microparticles
Understanding the physiological mechanisms responsible for the predominance of staphylococcus
epidermidis as a platelet contaminant — a genomic approach
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
iii
Titles of projects conducted by Product and Process Development program
Deepening the understanding of our products and the processes used to manufacture them
Bacterial growth in red blood cells prepared in different additive solutions (derived from the 30-minute rule)
BEST 74 – irradiation study
BEST 83 – hemolysis standardization
Comparison of bacterial attachment between apheresis and buffy coat platelet bags
Cryopreservation of Gerbich/Leach donor
Exploratory analyses to determine if method of donor blood processing affects outcome in transfused
recipients
Frozen red blood cell products international standardization
Impact of cord blood to anticoagulant ratios on hematopoietic stem cells
Impact of donor sex, age and hemoglobin status on hemolysis
Impact of donor variation on platelet quality
Platelet aggregate issue
Product characterization – quality monitoring program for 2015-16
Product characterization – quality monitoring program for cord blood derived hematopoietic stem cells
Quality assessment of cryopreserved/irradiated CPD/SAGM red blood cell units
Short and long-term clinical effects of blood donor characteristics in transfusion recipients
The effects of room temperature exposure on plasma (30 minute rule)
The effects of room temperature exposure on red blood cell units (30 minute rule)
Developing new or next generation products and the processes used to manufacture them
ACP-215 cell processor implementation (washed red blood cells)
ACP-215 closed system cryopreservation
White paper: current state of 7-day platelets
Development of cord blood unit thawing protocol
Environmental scan: freeze dried (lyophilized) plasma
Environmental scan: platelet additive solutions
Evaluation of the efficacy of the Mirasol® pathogen reduction technology system to eradicate biofilmforming bacteria
Evaluation of the efficacy of the Mirasol® pathogen reduction technology system to eradicate low bacteria
titres in buffy coat platelet pools at different irradiation times
Haemonetics Solx/ Fenwal ESol ACP-215 study
INTERCEPT (Cerus) pathogen inactivation system
MIRASOL (Terumo) pathogen inactivation system
THERAFLEX (Macopharma) pathogen inactivation system
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
iv
Improving current generation products and the processes used to manufacture them
Bacterial growth during storage of thawed cryoprecipitate at 20-24°C for 24 hours
Cold versus warm evaluation
Contingency 'blood bags' - B2 production
Data review for future use of one pack type with no cooling trays
Elimination of cooling trays
Evaluation of alternative skin disinfection kits for donors allergic to chlorhexidine
Evaluation of the ADAM instrument for residual white blood cell testing
Exploration of options to test cord blood units that contain antibiotics for bacterial contamination
Investigation of leukoreduction effectiveness in b2 whole blood with incomplete filtration
Modeling unit volumes after non-destructive testing
Non-destructive quality control testing for platelet products
Non-destructive quality control testing for red blood cell products
Production equipment process cycle time optimization: CompoMat
Rinse modification to the platelet pooling process
Support validation of CompoLab instrument
Enabling the product and process development group
Increasing netCAD testing capabilities
NetCAD4cord
Product and process development (PPD) test method validation: standardization and qualification of test
assays in centre for innovation labs supporting PPD group projects
Product characterization – quality monitoring program database
Other
Alberta inventory and logistics
Canadian Blood Services clinic simulator
Evaluating the efficacy of skin disinfectants when combined with natural oils
Holiday platelet planner
Hospital ordering behaviour and management of O-negative inventory
Modeling and simulation education and training
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
v
Titles of projects funded by National Training Program
Note: Projects that are italicized are those for which funding was initiated in fiscal year 2015–2016.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program
Pathogenesis of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia and mechanisms of IVIg therapy
Study of the apoptosis mechanism in blood processing and platelet storage in order to improve stored platelet
quality after pathogen inactivation treatment
CD8+CD25+ regulatory T cells: unveiling new mechanisms and treatment of ITP
Role of Fc receptors in antibody-mediated immune suppression
Transfusion options in coagulopathy: efficacy in controlling bleeding
Understanding IVIg mechanism(s) of action in alleviating immune platelet destruction and thrombocytopenia
Understanding the factors that influence bacterial proliferation and biofilm formation in platelet concentrates
Mechanism of anti-D-like antibody-mediated amelioration of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)
Novel mechanism of phagocytosis and cytopenia: exploring the role of integrin thiol isomerase activity in
immunosynapse formation and alternative therapy for ITP
DNA aptamers for detection of red blood cells destined for rapid post-transfusion clearance
Graduate Fellowship Program
The in vivo effects of liposome treatment on minimizing membrane injury in rat red blood cells during
hypothermic storage
Identification of protein biomarkers for red cell quality
MRI-guided focused ultrasound facilitated IVIg immunotherapy as a therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's
disease
Application of microfluidic technology to blood group genotyping for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of fetal
RhD status
Relationship of warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia to normal red cell senescence
Assessment of fluorinated ice crystallization inhibitors; cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem cells and red
blood cells
Characterization of the role of Msi2 in human hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal
Role of skin disinfection and buffy coat platelet production on residual bacterial contamination in platelet
concentrates and cord blood stem cells
Novel mechanisms of plasma fibronectin in hemostasis, cryoprecipitate therapy and platelet storage: potential
applications in transfusion medicine
Mechanism of transplacental transport of IgGs, and IVIg and anti-FcRn therapies in the treatment of fetal and
neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia
Study of the role of platelet microRNAs
Studies on the development of biocompatible antimicrobial platelet storage devices
Towards the impact of protein synthesis in human platelets to transfusion medicine
Investigation of pathophysiology, prevention and treatment of murine transfusion related acute lung injury
(TRALI)
Cellular therapy to improve CD4+ T-cell responses in humanized mice infected with HIV-1: adoptive transfer
of CD4+ T-cells lacking s-Src activity
Impact of storage on the function of cord blood hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells
Small molecule inhibitors of phagocytosis to replace intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg)
Dengue virus replication by anucleate cells: impact on pathogen reduction efficacy
Recombinant Fc multimers to replace IVIg
Study of the mechanisms implicated in platelet microparticle internalization by blood cells
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
vi
Summer Internship Program
Investigation of apheresis platelet concentrates from donors with repeat low pH measurements
The role of mononuclear cells in modulating neutrophil activation in antibody-mediated TRALI
Investigation of the mean of action of osteoblasts on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells expansion
Improving the cryopreservation of a cord red blood cell product by controlling ice growth with small
molecule ice recrystallization inhibitors
Donor selection and optimal source of cells for allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation: a network
metaanalysis
Strengthening the quality and quantity of membership on Canada’s stem cell donor-database
PCC, aPCC, and rFVIIa for novel oral anticoagulant associated major bleeding
Setting the benchmark metric for red blood cell transfusion: a quality project
Characteristics of the biofilm matrix and its role in the survival and growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis
during platelet storage
Exploration of an IVIG utilization oversight model from existing frameworks
BloodTechNet Award Program
Better blood transfusion: neonatal and pediatric patients
Blood Matters 2014
Transfusion confusion: an interprofessional online learning module
Snippets at the time of need: transfusion medicine ePerformance support tools
The Stem Cell Club: educating medical students about stem cell transplantation
Titles of projects funded by Program Support Award for Canadian Transfusion Medicine and Science
Research
McMaster Transfusion Research Program
University of Ottawa Centre for Transfusion Research
Centre for Blood Research Infrastructure Support for Transfusion Research
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
vii
Appendix II: Publications
Summary of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed publications from fiscal year 2015-2016
# of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed publications in fiscal year 2015-16
355
Peer-Reviewed Publications
317
Journal Articles
122
Review Articles
22
Comments/Letters/Editorials
11
Books/Book Sections
1
Published Abstracts
157
Canadian Blood Services Circular of Information
4
38
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
CBS Website Publications
13
Fast policy facts
1
Technical Reports
23
Theses
1
Summary of h-index factor analysis
50
H-Index
40
30
H-Index
20
H-Index (past 5 years)
10
Mean H-Index
Mean H-Index (past 5 years)
0
A B C D
F
G H I J K L M N O
Investigator
P
Notes: i) H‐Index factors measured using GoogleScholar on April 5 2016. ii) Mean H‐ index calculated using H‐Index factors
from the 15 core investigators. Core investigators include (Jason Acker, John Blake, Donald Branch, Dana Devine, Margaret
Fearon, Mindy Goldman, Alan Lazarus, Heyu Ni, Sheila O’Brien, Nicolas Pineault, Ed Pryzdial, Sandra Ramirez-Arcos, Mark
Scott, William Sheffield, and Kathryn Webert). iii) H‐Index is a single bibliometric indicator that is a measure of both the
productivity and impact of published work. H‐Index is an indicator of research users being aware of and valuing published
research evidence. Average H-index for Canadian university professors in the biological sciences is 10.6.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
viii
Publications’ Details
Author Legend:
Bold – Centre for Innovation investigators and senior staff; Canadian Blood Services medical directors;
Directors of transfusion medicine research programs receiving funding via the Program Support Award for
Transfusion Medicine and Science Research.
Underlined – Non-Canadian Blood Services investigators funded in part by Canadian Blood Services.
Journal Articles
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Abdelbaset-Ismail A, Borkowska S, Janowska-Wieczorek A, Tonn T, Rodriguez C, Moniuszko M,
Bolkun L, Koloczko J, Eljaszewicz A, Ratajczak J, Ratajczak MZ, Kucia M. Novel evidence that
pituitary gonadotropins directly stimulate human leukemic cells-studies of myeloid cell lines and
primary patient AML and CML cells. Oncotarget. 2015; 7: 3033-3046.
Acker JP, Hansen AL, Yi Q-L, Sondi N, Cserti-Gazdewich C, Pendergrast J, Hannach B.
Introduction of a closed-system cell processor for red blood cell washing: Postimplementation
monitoring of safety and efficacy. Transfusion. 2016; 56: 49-57.
Alexander PE, Barty R, Fei Y, Vandvik PO, Pai M, Siemieniuk RA, Heddle NM, Blumberg N,
McLeod SL, Liu J, Eikelboom JW, Guyatt GH. Transfusion of fresher vs older red blood cells in
hospitalized patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Blood. 2016; 127: 400-410.
Allan DS, Scrivens N, Lawless T, Mostert K, Oppenheimer L, Walker M, Petraszko T, Elmoazzen
H. Delayed clamping of the umbilical cord after delivery and implications for public cord blood
banking. Transfusion. 2015.
Alwasaidi TA, Hamadah A, Altouri S, Tay J, McDiarmid S, Faught C, Allan D, Huebsch L,
Bredeson C, Bence-Bruckler I. Outcomes of both abbreviated hyper-CVAD induction followed by
autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation and conventional chemotherapy for mantle cell
lymphoma: A 10-year single-centre experience with literature review. Cancer Med. 2015; 4: 18171827.
Amash A, Wang L, Wang Y, Bhakta V, Fairn GD, Hou M, Peng J, Sheffield WP, Lazarus AH.
CD44 antibody inhibition of macrophage phagocytosis targets Fcγ receptor– and complement
receptor 3–dependent mechanisms. J Immunol. 2016; 196: 3331-3340.
Atkins CG, Buckley K, Chen D, Schulze HG, Devine DV, Blades MW, Turner RFB. Raman
spectroscopy of stored red blood cells: Evaluating clinically-relevant biochemical markers in donated
blood. Clinical and Biomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging IV. 2015; 9537: 95370X.
Bakkour S, Acker JP, Chafets DM, Inglis HC, Norris PJ, Lee TH, Busch MP. Manufacturing
method affects mitochondrial DNA release and extracellular vesicle composition in stored red blood
cells. Vox Sang. 2016.
Bernardo L, Yu H, Amash A, Zimring JC, Lazarus AH. IgG-mediated immune suppression to
erythrocytes by polyclonal antibodies can occur in the absence of activating or inhibitory Fcγ
receptors in a full mouse model. J Immunol. 2015; 195: 2224-2230.
Bian Y, Guo C, Chang T. Temperature stability of poly-[hemoglobin-superoxide dismutase-catalasecarbonic anhydrase] in the form of a solution or in the lyophilized form during storage at −80°C,
4°C, 25°C and 37°C or pasteurization at 70°C. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2016; 44: 41-47.
Bicalho B, Pereira AS, Acker JP. Buffy coat (top/bottom)- and whole-blood filtration (top/top)produced red cell concentrates differ in size of extracellular vesicles. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 214-220.
Bicalho B, Serrano K, dos Santos Pereira A, Devine D, Acker J. Blood bag plasticizers influence
red blood cell vesiculation rate without altering the lipid composition of the vesicles. Transfus Med
Hemother. 2015.
Branch DR. Anti-A and anti-B: What are they and where do they come from? Transfusion. 2015;
55: S74-S79.
Briard JG, Poisson JS, Turner TR, Capicciotti CJ, Acker JP, Ben RN. Small molecule ice
recrystallization inhibitors mitigate red blood cell lysis during freezing, transient warming and
thawing. Sci Rep. 2016; 6: 23619.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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15. Buckley K, Atkins CG, Chen D, Schulze HG, Devine DV, Blades MW, Turner RFB. Non-invasive
spectroscopy of transfusable red blood cells stored inside sealed plastic blood-bags. Analyst. 2016;
141: 1678-1685.
16. Burger D, Viñas JL, Akbari S, Dehak H, Knoll W, Gutsol A, Carter A, Touyz RM, Allan DS, Burns
KD. Human endothelial colony-forming cells protect against acute kidney injury: Role of exosomes.
Am J Pathol. 2015; 185: 2309-2323.
17. Byrnes JR, Duval C, Wang Y, Hansen CE, Ahn B, Mooberry MJ, Clark MA, Johnsen JM, Lord ST,
Lam WA, Meijers JCM, Ni H, Ariëns RAS, Wolberg AS. Factor XIIIa-dependent retention of red
blood cells in clots is mediated by fibrin α-chain crosslinking. Blood. 2015; 126: 1940-1948.
18. Cameron-Vendrig A, Reheman A, Siraj MA, Xu XR, Wang Y, Lei X, Afroze T, Shikatani E, ElMounayri O, Noyan H, Weissleder R, Ni H, Husain M. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor activation
attenuates platelet aggregation and thrombosis. Diabetes. 2016.
19. Capicciotti CJ, Kurach JDR, Turner TR, Mancini RS, Acker JP, Ben RN. Small molecule ice
recrystallization inhibitors enable freezing of human red blood cells with reduced glycerol
concentrations. Sci Rep. 2015; 5.
20. Cembrowski G, Topping K, Versluys K, Tran D, Malick M, Holmes D, Clarke G. The use of serial
outpatient complete blood count (CBC) results to derive biologic variation: A new tool to gauge the
acceptability of hematology testing. Int J Lab Hematol. 2015.
21. Chai-Adisaksopha C, Hillis C, Isayama T, Lim W, Iorio A, Crowther M. Mortality outcomes in
patients receiving direct oral anticoagulants: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized
controlled trials. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 2012-2020.
22. Chai-Adisaksopha C, Hillis C, Lim W, Boonyawat K, Moffat K, Crowther M. Hemodialysis for the
treatment of dabigatran-associated bleeding: A case report and systematic review. J Thromb
Haemost. 2015; 13: 1790-1798.
23. Chai-Adisaksopha C, Hillis C, Monreal M, Witt DM, Crowther M. Thromboembolic events,
recurrent bleeding and mortality after resuming anticoagulant following gastrointestinal bleeding. A
meta-analysis. Thromb Haemost. 2015; 114: 819-825.
24. Chai-Adisaksopha C, Hillis C, Thabane L, Iorio A. A systematic review of definitions and reporting
of bleeding outcome measures in haemophilia. Haemophilia. 2015; 21: 731-735.
25. Chai-Adisaksopha C, Lam W, Hillis C. Major arterial events in patients with chronic myeloid
leukemia treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors: A meta-analysis. Leuk Lymphoma. 2015: 1-11.
26. Chen Y, Ge J, Ruan M, Zhu L-Y, Zeng Q-S, Xia R-X, Ni H. [Influence of anticoagulants on
detection of ITP platelet-specific autoantibodies and relationship of autoantibody types with
glucocorticoid efficacy]. Zhongguo shi yan xue ye xue za zhi. 2015; 23: 1380-1385.
27. Ching JC, Lau W, Hannach B, Upton JE. Peanut and fish allergy due to platelet transfusion in a
child. CMAJ. 2015; 187: 905-907.
28. Clark WF, Rock G, Barth D, Arnold DM, Webert KE, Yenson PR, Kelton JG, Li L, Foley SR,
members of the Canadian Apheresis G. A phase-II sequential case-series study of all patients
presenting to four plasma exchange centres with presumed relapsed/refractory thrombotic
thrombocytopenic purpura treated with rituximab. Br J Haematol. 2015; 170: 208-217.
29. Deng X, Duffy SP, Myrand-Lapierre M-E, Matthews K, Santoso AT, Du Y-L, Ryan KS, Ma H.
Reduced deformability of parasitized red blood cells as a biomarker for anti-malarial drug efficacy.
Malar J. 2015; 14: 428.
30. Duchez AC, Boudreau LH, Naika GS, Bollinger J, Belleannee C, Cloutier N, Laffont B, MendozaVillarroel RE, Levesque T, Rollet-Labelle E, Rousseau M, Allaeys I, Tremblay JJ, Poubelle PE,
Lambeau G, Pouliot M, Provost P, Soulet D, Gelb MH, Boilard E. Platelet microparticles are
internalized in neutrophils via the concerted activity of 12-lipoxygenase and secreted phospholipase
A2-IIA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015; 112: E3564-3573.
31. Dzandzi JPK, Beckford Vera DR, Genady AR, Albu SA, Eltringham-Smith LJ, Capretta A,
Sheffield WP, Valliant JF. Fluorous analogue of chloramine-T: Preparation, x-ray structure
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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determination, and use as an oxidant for radioiodination and s-tetrazine synthesis. J Org Chem. 2015;
80: 7117-7125.
Elboraee MS, Clarke G, Belletrutti MJ, Escoredo S. HbM methaemoglobinaemia as a rare case of
early neonatal benign cyanosis. BMJ Case Reports. 2015; 2015.
Elgheznawy A, Shi L, Hu J, Wittig I, Laban H, Pircher J, Mann A, Provost P, Randriamboavonjy V,
Fleming I. Dicer cleavage by calpain determines platelet microRNA levels and function in diabetes.
Circ Res. 2015; 117: 157-165.
English SW, Chassé M, Turgeon AF, Tinmouth A, Boutin A, Pagliarello G, Fergusson D, McIntyre
L. Red blood cell transfusion and mortality effect in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A
systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. Syst Rev. 2015; 4: 41.
Fedorov K, Jankowski A, Sheikh S, Blaszykowski C, Reheman A, Romaschin A, Ni H, Thompson
M. Prevention of surface-induced thrombogenesis on poly(vinyl chloride). J Mater Chem B Mater
Biol Med. 2015.
Gierczak RF, Bhakta V, Xie M, Sheffield WP. Comparison of mammalian and bacterial expression
library screening to detect recombinant alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor variants with enhanced thrombin
inhibitory capacity☆. J Biotechnol. 2015; 208: 54-62.
Goldman M, Cemborain A, Cote J, El Hamss R, Flower RL, Garaizar A, Garcia-Sanchez F, Hyland
CA, Kalvelage M, Londero D, Lopez GH, Revelli N, Rodriguez-Wilhelmi P, Villa A, Ochoa-Garay
G. Identification of six new RHCE variant alleles in individuals of diverse racial origin. Transfusion.
2016; 56: 244-248.
Goldman M, Land K, Robillard P, Wiersum-Osselton J. Development of standard definitions for
surveillance of complications related to blood donation. Vox Sang. 2016; 110: 185-188.
Goldman M, Lane D, Webert K, Fallis R. The prevalence of anti-K in Canadian prenatal patients.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 1486-1491.
Gray N, Newbold KB, Lane SJ, Heddle NM, Webert K, Eyles J. Public perceptions of pathogen
reduction technology in the Canadian donor blood supply. ISBT Sci Ser. 2015.
Guo C, Gynn M, Chang T. Extraction of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and carbonic anhydrase
from stroma-free red blood cell hemolysate for the preparation of the nanobiotechnological complex
of polyhemoglobin–superoxide dismutase–catalase–carbonic anhydrase. Artif Cells Nanomed
Biotechnol. 2015; 43: 157-162.
Guo L, Kapur R, Aslam R, Speck ER, Zufferey A, Zhao Y, Kim M, Lazarus AH, Ni H, Semple JW.
CD20+ B-cell depletion therapy suppresses murine CD8+ T-cell-mediated immune
thrombocytopenia. Blood. 2016; 127: 735-738.
Guo Q, Duffy SP, Matthews K, Deng X, Santoso AT, Islamzada E, Ma H. Deformability based
sorting of red blood cells improves diagnostic sensitivity for malaria caused by plasmodium
falciparum. Lab Chip. 2016; 16: 645-654.
Hansen AL, Turner TR, Kurach JDR, Acker JP. Quality of red blood cells washed using a second
wash sequence on an automated cell processor. Transfusion. 2015.
Heddle NM, Arnold DM, Acker JP, Liu Y, Barty RL, Eikelboom JW, Webert KE, Hsia CC,
O'Brien SF, Cook RJ. Red blood cell processing methods and in-hospital mortality: A transfusion
registry cohort study. Lancet Haematol. 2016.
Hubert A, Subra C, Jenabian MA, Tremblay Labrecque PF, Tremblay C, Laffont B, Provost P, Routy
JP, Gilbert C. Elevated abundance, size, and MicroRNA content of plasma extracellular vesicles in
viremic HIV-1+ patients: Correlations with known markers of disease progression. J Acquir Immune
Defic Syndr. 2015; 70: 219-227.
Hun Yeon J, Chan KYT, Wong T-C, Chan K, Sutherland MR, Ismagilov RF, Pryzdial ELG,
Kastrup CJ. A biochemical network can control formation of a synthetic material by sensing
numerous specific stimuli. Sci Rep. 2015; 5: 10274.
Ivetic N, Nazi I, Karim N, Clare R, Smith JW, Moore JC, Hope KJ, Kelton JG, Arnold DM.
Producing megakaryocytes from a human peripheral blood source. Transfusion. 2016.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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49. Jaffer AM, Wang G, Barty RL, Shih AW. Evaluation of CONSORT compliance in transfusion.
Transfusion. 2015.
50. Johnson L, Schubert P, Tan S, Devine DV, Marks DC. Extended storage and glucose exhaustion are
associated with apoptotic changes in platelets stored in additive solution. Transfusion. 2015.
51. Jordan A, Acker J. Determining the volume of additive solution and residual plasma in whole blood
filtered and buffy coat processed red cell concentrates. Transfus Med Hemother. 2015.
52. Jordan A, Chen D, Yi QL, Kanias T, Gladwin MT, Acker JP. Assessing the influence of component
processing and donor characteristics on quality of red cell concentrates using quality control data.
Vox Sang. 2016.
53. Kapur R, Kim M, Shanmugabhavananthan S, Liu J, Li Y, Semple JW. C-reactive protein enhances
murine antibody–mediated transfusion-related acute lung injury. Blood. 2015; 126: 2747-2751.
54. Kou Y, Pagotto F, Hannach B, Ramirez-Arcos S. Fatal false-negative transfusion infection
involving a buffy coat platelet pool contaminated with biofilm-positive staphylococcus epidermidis:
A case report. Transfusion. 2015.
55. Kwan DH, Constantinescu I, Chapanian R, Higgins MA, Kotzler MP, Samain E, Boraston AB,
Kizhakkedathu JN, Withers SG. Toward efficient enzymes for the generation of universal blood
through structure-guided directed evolution. J Am Chem Soc. 2015; 137: 5695-5705.
56. Kwan DH, Ernst S, Kotzler MP, Withers SG. Chemoenzymatic synthesis of a type 2 blood group a
tetrasaccharide and development of high-throughput assays enables a platform for screening blood
group antigen-cleaving enzymes. Glycobiology. 2015; 25: 806-811.
57. Kyluik-Price DL, Scott MD. Effects of methoxypoly (ethylene glycol) mediated immunocamouflage
on leukocyte surface marker detection, cell conjugation, activation and alloproliferation.
Biomaterials. 2016; 74: 167-177.
58. Lacroix J, Hébert PC, Fergusson DA, Tinmouth A, Walsh T, Stanworth S, Campbell H, Boyd J,
Burrows H, Hemmatapour S, on behalf of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. A randomized
controlled trial comparing the outcome of critically ill adults who received fresher vs. older red cells
units. ISBT Sci Ser. 2016; 11: 332-336.
59. Laffont B, Corduan A, Rousseau M, Duchez AC, Lee CH, Boilard E, Provost P. Platelet
microparticles reprogram macrophage gene expression and function. Thromb Haemost. 2016; 115:
311-323.
60. Lang E, Bissinger R, Fajol A, Salker MS, Singh Y, Zelenak C, Ghashghaeinia M, Gu S, Jilani K,
Lupescu A, Reyskens KM, Ackermann TF, Foller M, Schleicher E, Sheffield WP, Arthur JS, Lang
F, Qadri SM. Accelerated apoptotic death and in vivo turnover of erythrocytes in mice lacking
functional mitogen- and stress-activated kinase MSK1/2. Sci Rep. 2015; 5: 17316.
61. Leung VL, Kizhakkedathu JN. The mechanism and modulation of complement activation on
polymer grafted cells. Acta Biomater. 2016; 31: 252-263.
62. Lewis JK, Bischof JC, Braslavsky I, Brockbank KGM, Fahy GM, Fuller BJ, Rabin Y, Tocchio A,
Woods EJ, Wowk BG, Acker JP, Giwa S. The grand challenges of organ banking: Proceedings from
the first global summit on complex tissue cryopreservation. Cryobiology. 2015.
63. Li J, van der Wal DE, Zhu G, Xu M, Yougbare I, Ma L, Vadasz B, Carrim N, Grozovsky R, Ruan
M, Zhu L, Zeng Q, Tao L, Zhai Z-m, Peng J, Hou M, Leytin V, Freedman J, Hoffmeister KM, Ni H.
Desialylation is a mechanism of Fc-independent platelet clearance and a therapeutic target in
immune thrombocytopenia. Nat Commun. 2015; 6: 7737.
64. Li L, Noumsi GT, Kwok YYE, Moulds JM, Scott MD. Inhibition of phagocytic recognition of antiD opsonized Rh D+ RBC by polymer-mediated immunocamouflage. Am J Hematol. 2015; 90: 11651170.
65. Lin HX, Sjaarda J, Dyck J, Stringer R, Hillis C, Harvey M, Carter R, Ainsworth P, Leber B, Pare G,
Sadikovic B. Gender and BCR-ABL transcript type are correlated with molecular response to
imatinib treatment in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Eur J Haematol. 2016; 96: 360-366.
66. Lin Y, Tinmouth A, Mallick R, Haspel RL, for the BEST-TEST2 Investigators. BEST-TEST2:
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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Assessment of hematology trainee knowledge of transfusion medicine. Transfusion. 2015.
67. Linkins LA, Bates SM, Lee AY, Heddle NM, Wang G, Warkentin TE. Combination of 4Ts score
and PF4/H-PaGIA for diagnosis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: Prospective
cohort study. Blood. 2015; 126: 597-603.
68. Loza-Correa M, Perkins H, Kumaran D, Kou Y, Qaisar R, Geelhood S, Ramirez-Arcos S.
Noninvasive pH monitoring for bacterial detection in platelet concentrates. Transfusion. 2016.
69. Ma L, Simpson E, Li J, Xuan M, Xu M, Baker L, Shi Y, Yougbaré I, Wang X, Zhu G, Chen P,
Prud’homme GJ, Lazarus AH, Freedman J, Ni H. CD8+ T cells are predominantly protective and
required for effective steroid therapy in murine models of immune thrombocytopenia. Blood. 2015;
126: 247-256.
70. Malinowski AK, Shehata N, D’Souza R, Kuo KHM, Ward R, Shah PS, Murphy K. Prophylactic
transfusion for pregnant women with sickle cell disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Blood. 2015; 126: 2424-2435.
71. Matthews K, Myrand-Lapierre M-E, Ang RR, Duffy SP, Scott MD, Ma H. Microfluidic
deformability analysis of the red cell storage lesion. J Biomech. 2015; 48: 4065-4072.
72. McCarthy SDS, Majchrzak-Kita B, Racine T, Kozlowski HN, Baker DP, Hoenen T, Kobinger GP,
Fish EN, Branch DR. A rapid screening assay identifies monotherapy with interferon-ß and
combination therapies with nucleoside analogs as effective inhibitors of Ebola virus. PLoS Negl Trop
Dis. 2016; 10: e0004364.
73. McCarthy SDS, Sakac D, Neschadim A, Branch DR. C-SRC protein tyrosine kinase regulates early
HIV-1 infection post-entry. AIDS. 2016; 30: 849-858.
74. McVey MJ, Spring C, Semple JW, Maishan M, Kuebler WM. Microparticles as biomarkers of lung
disease - enumeration in biological fluids using lipid bilayer microspheres. Am J Physiol Lung Cell
Mol Physiol. 2016.
75. Molnar AO, Fergusson D, Tsampalieros AK, Bennett A, Fergusson N, Ramsay T, Knoll GA.
Generic immunosuppression in solid organ transplantation: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
BMJ. 2015; 350: h3163.
76. Morrison LJ, Gent LM, Lang E, Nunnally ME, Parker MJ, Callaway CW, Nadkarni VM, Fernandez
AR, Billi JE, Egan JR, Griffin RE, Shuster M, Hazinski MF. Part 2: Evidence evaluation and
management of conflicts of interest: 2015 American Heart Association guidelines update for
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation. 2015; 132: S368382.
77. Nazi I, Arnold DM, Warkentin TE, Smith JW, Staibano P, Kelton JG. Distinguishing between anti–
platelet factor 4/heparin antibodies that can and cannot cause heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. J
Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 1900-1907.
78. O'Brien SF, Delage G, Scalia V, Lindsay R, Bernier F, Dubuc S, Germain M, Pilot G, Yi Q-L,
Fearon MA. Seroprevalence of Babesia microti infection in Canadian blood donors. Transfusion.
2016; 56: 237-243.
79. O'Brien SF, Delage G, Seed CR, Pillonel J, Fabra CC, Davison K, Kitchen A, Steele WR, Leiby
DA. The epidemiology of imported malaria and transfusion policy in five non-endemic countries.
Transfus Med Rev. 2015; 29: 162-171.
80. O'Brien SF, Osmond L, Choquet K, Yi QL, Goldman M. Donor attention to reading materials. Vox
Sang. 2015.
81. O'Brien SF, Osmond L, Fan W, Yi Q-L, Goldman M. Impact of a 5-year deferral from blood
donation for men who have sex with men. Transfusion. 2015.
82. O'Brien SF, Osmond L, Yi Q-L. How do I interpret a p value? Transfusion. 2015; 55: 2778-2782.
83. Osman A, Hitzler WE, Ameur A, Provost P. Differential expression analysis by RNA-seq reveals
perturbations in the platelet mRNA transcriptome triggered by pathogen reduction systems. PLoS
One. 2015; 10: e0133070.
84. Pai M, Cook R, Barty R, Eikelboom J, Lee KA, Heddle N. Exposure to ABO-nonidentical blood
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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associated with increased in-hospital mortality in patients with group A blood. Transfusion. 2016;
56: 550-557.
85. Pendergrast J, Willie-Ramharack K, Sampson L, Laroche V, Branch DR. The role of inflammation
in intravenous immune globulin–mediated hemolysis. Transfusion. 2015; 55: S65-S73.
86. Pereira Beak C, Chargé SB, Isasi R, Knoppers BM. Developing educational resources to advance
umbilical cord blood banking and research: A Canadian perspective. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2015;
37: 443-450.
87. Petrik J, Lozano M, Seed CR, Faddy HM, Keller AJ, Prado Scuracchio PS, Wendel S, Andonov A,
Fearon M, Delage G, Zhang J, Shih JWK, Gallian P, Djoudi R, Tiberghien P, Izopet J, Dreier J,
Vollmer T, Knabbe C, Aggarwal R, Goel A, Ciccaglione AR, Matsubayashi K, Satake M, Tadokoro
K, Jeong S-H, Zaaijer HL, Zhiburt E, Chay J, Teo D, Chua SS, Piron M, Sauleda S, Echevarría J-M,
Dalton H, Stramer SL. Hepatitis E. Vox Sang. 2015.
88. Qadri SM, Donkor DA, Bhakta V, Eltringham-Smith LJ, Dwivedi DJ, Moore JC, Pepler L, Ivetic N,
Nazi I, Fox-Robichaud AE, Liaw PC, Sheffield WP. Phosphatidylserine externalization and
procoagulant activation of erythrocytes induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factor
pyocyanin. J Cell Mol Med. 2016; 20: 710-720.
89. Ramirez-Arcos S, Alport T, Goldman M. Intermittent bacteremia detected in an asymptomatic
apheresis platelet donor with repeat positive culture for Escherichia coli: A case report. Transfusion.
2015; 55: 2606-2608.
90. Ratajczak MZ, Borkowska S, Mierzejewska K, Kucia M, Mendek-Czajkowska E, Suszynska M,
Sharma VA, Deptala A, Song W, Platzbecker U, Larratt L, Janowska-Wieczorek A, Maciejewski J,
Ratajczak J. Further evidence that paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria is a disorder of defective
cell membrane lipid rafts. J Cell Mol Med. 2015; 19: 2193-2201.
91. Rowley JW, Chappaz S, Corduan A, Chong MM, Campbell R, Khoury A, Manne BK, Wurtzel JG,
Michael JV, Goldfinger LE, Mumaw MM, Nieman MT, Kile BT, Provost P, Weyrich AS. Dicer1
mediated miRNA processing shapes the mRNA profile and function of murine platelets. Blood.
2016; 127: 1743-1751.
92. Santoso AT, Deng X, Lee J-H, Matthews K, Duffy SP, Islamzada E, McFaul SM, Myrand-Lapierre
M-E, Ma H. Microfluidic cell-phoresis enabling high-throughput analysis of red blood cell
deformability and biophysical screening of antimalarial drugs. Lab Chip. 2015; 15: 4451-4460.
93. Sarhangian V, Abouee-Mehrizi H, Baron O, Berman O, Heddle NM, Barty R. Reducing the age of
transfused red blood cells in hospitals: Ordering and allocation policies. Vox Sang. 2016.
94. Schubert P, Coupland D, Nombalais M, Walsh G, Devine DV. RhoA/ROCK signaling contributes to
sex differences in the activation of human platelets. Thrombosis Res. 2016; 139: 50-55.
95. Schulman S, Carrier M, Lee AY, Shivakumar S, Blostein M, Spencer FA, Solymoss S, Barty R,
Wang G, Heddle N, Douketis JD. Perioperative management of dabigatran: A prospective cohort
study. Circulation. 2015; 132: 167-173.
96. Serrano K, Levin E, Chen D, Hansen A, Turner TR, Kurach J, Reidel A, Boecker WF, Acker JP,
Devine DV. An investigation of red blood cell concentrate quality during storage in paediatric-sized
polyvinylchloride bags plasticized with alternatives to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Vox Sang.
2015.
97. Sheffield WP, Bhakta V. The M358R variant of α1-proteinase inhibitor inhibits coagulation factor
VIIa. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2016; 470: 710-713.
98. Sheffield WP, Bhakta V, Jenkins C. Stability of coagulation protein activities in single units or
pools of cryoprecipitate during storage at 20–24°C for up to 24 h. Vox Sang. 2016; 110: 12-19.
99. Shehata N, Forster AJ, Lawrence N, Ducharme R, Fergusson DA, Chassé M, Rothwell DM, Hébert
PC, Tinmouth AT, Wilson K. Transfusion patterns in all patients admitted to the intensive care unit
and in those who die in hospital: A descriptive analysis. PLoS One. 2015; 10: e0138427.
100. Sheppard D, Tay J, Palmer D, Xenocostas A, Doulaverakis C, Huebsch L, McDiarmid S, Tinmouth
A, Mallick R, Martin L, Birch P, Hamelin L, Allan D, Bredeson C. Improved prediction of CD34+
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cell yield before peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cell collection using a modified target
value–tailored approach. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2015.
101. Sholzberg M, Pavenski K, Shehata N, Cserti-Gazdewich C, Lin Y. Bleeding complications from the
direct oral anticoagulants. BMC Hematol. 2015; 15: 1-5.
102. Simon AY, Sutherland MR, Pryzdial ELG. Dengue virus binding and replication by platelets.
Blood. 2015; 126: 378-385.
103. Singh S, Dubinsky-Davidchik IS, Yang Y, Kluger R. Subunit-directed click coupling via doubly
cross-linked hemoglobin efficiently produces readily purified functional bis-tetrameric oxygen
carriers. Org Biomol Chem. 2015; 13: 11118-11128.
104. Siren EM, Singh S, Kluger R. Bioorthogonal phase-directed copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne
cycloaddition (PCDuAAC) coupling of selectively cross-linked superoxide dismutase dimers
produces a fully active bis-dimer. Org Biomol Chem. 2015; 13: 10244-10249.
105. Solh Z, Breakey V, Murthy P, Smith JW, Arnold DM. Triplets with neonatal alloimmune
thrombocytopenia due to antibodies against human platelet antigen 1a. Transfusion. 2016.
106. Spitalnik SL, Triulzi D, Devine DV, Dzik WH, Eder AF, Gernsheimer T, Josephson CD, Kor DJ,
Luban NLC, Roubinian NH, Mondoro T, Welniak LA, Zou S, Glynn S, for the State of the Science
in Transfusion Medicine Working Group. 2015 proceedings of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute's state of the science in transfusion medicine symposium. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 2282-2290.
107. Sutherland MR, Simon AY, Serrano K, Schubert P, Acker JP, Pryzdial ELG. Dengue virus persists
and replicates during storage of platelet and red blood cell units. Transfusion. 2016.
108. Szkotak AJ, Lunty B, Nahirniak S, Clarke G. Interpretation of pretransfusion testing in obstetrical
patients who have received antepartum Rh immunoglobulin prophylaxis. Vox Sang. 2016; 110: 5159.
109. Tabuchi A, Nickles HT, Kim M, Semple JW, Koch E, Brochard L, Slutsky AS, Pries AR, Kuebler
WM. Acute lung injury causes asynchronous alveolar ventilation that can be corrected by individual
sighs. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2015; 193: 396-406.
110. Tone K, Lalu M, Kilty SJ, Rosenberg E, Tinmouth A. Airway compromise and perioperative
management of a patient with acquired factor XIII inhibitor. A&A Case Reports. 2015; 4: 120-124.
111. Tseng E, Crowther MA, Hillis CM. Bridging anticoagulation for interruption of warfarin in a patient
with atrial fibrillation. CMAJ. 2016; 188: 361-362.
112. Vassallo R, Goldman M, Germain M, Lozano M, For the BEST Collaborative. Preoperative
autologous blood donation: Waning indications in an era of improved blood safety. Transfus Med
Rev. 2015; 29: 268-275.
113. Veljkovic V, Goeijenbier M, Glisic S, Veljkovic N, Perovic VR, Sencanski M, Branch DR, Paessler
S. In silico analysis suggests repurposing of ibuprofen for prevention and treatment of Ebola virus
disease. F1000Res. 2015; 4: 104.
114. Wang D, Shanina I, Toyofuku WM, Horwitz MS, Scott MD. Inhibition of autoimmune diabetes in
NOD mice by miRNA therapy. PLoS One. 2015; 10: e0145179.
115. Wen J, Weinhart M, Lai B, Kizhakkedathu J, Brooks DE. Reversible hemostatic properties of
sulfabetaine/quaternary ammonium modified hyperbranched polyglycerol. Biomaterials. 2016; 86:
42-55.
116. Ypma PF, van der Meer PF, Heddle NM, van Hilten JA, Stijnen T, Middelburg RA, Hervig T, van
der Bom JG, Brand A, Kerkhoffs JL. A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating
clinical effects of platelet transfusion products: The pathogen reduction evaluation and predictive
analytical rating score (PREPAReS) trial. BMJ Open. 2016; 6: e010156.
117. Yu X, Menard M, Prechl J, Bhakta V, Sheffield WP, Lazarus AH. Monovalent Fc receptor
blockade by an anti–Fcγ receptor/albumin fusion protein ameliorates murine ITP with abrogated
toxicity. Blood. 2016; 127: 132-138.
118. Zeller M, Cristancho S, Mangel J, Goldszmidt M. Back to anatomy: Improving landmarking
accuracy of clinical procedures using a novel approach to procedural teaching. South Med J. 2015;
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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108: 310-317.
119. Zeller MP, Goldszmidt M, Cristancho S, Johnson M, Creces D, Mangel J. Bare bones: A return to
anatomy for teaching bone marrow biopsy and aspirate procedures. MedEdPORTAL Publications.
2015; 10091.
120. Zeller MP, Heddle NM, Kelton JG, Hamilton K, Wang G, Sholapur N, Carruthers J, Hsia C, Blais
N, Toltl L, Hamm C, Pearson M-A, Arnold DM. Effect of a thrombopoietin receptor agonist on use
of intravenous immune globulin in patients with immune thrombocytopenia. Transfusion. 2015.
121. Zeller MP, Sherbino J, Whitman L, Skeate R, Arnold DM. Design and implementation of a
competency-based transfusion medicine training program in Canada. Transfus Med Rev. 2016; 30:
30-36.
122. Zwingerman R, Jain V, Hannon J, Zwingerman N, Clarke G. Alloimmune red blood cell
antibodies: Prevalence and pathogenicity in a Canadian prenatal population. J Obstet Gynaecol Can.
2015; 37: 784-790.
Review Articles
1.
AABB Clinical Transfusion Medicine Committee, Heddle NM, Boeckh M, Grossman B, Jacobson
J, Kleinman S, Tobian AAR, Webert K, Wong ECC, Roback JD. AABB committee report:
Reducing transfusion-transmitted cytomegalovirus infections. Transfusion. 2016.
2. Arnold DM. Bleeding complications in immune thrombocytopenia. Hematology Am Soc Hematol
Educ Program. 2015; 2015: 237-242.
3. Chen D, Serrano K, Devine DV. Introducing the red cell storage lesion. ISBT Sci Ser. 2016; 11: 2633.
4. Damien P, Allan DS. Regenerative therapy and immune modulation using umbilical cord blood–
derived cells. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2015; 21: 1545-1554.
5. Eikelboom JW, Cook RJ, Barty R, Liu Y, Arnold DM, Crowther MA, Devereaux PJ, Ellis M,
Figueroa P, Gallus A, Hirsh J, Kurz A, Roxby D, Sessler DI, Sharon Y, Sobieraj-Teague M,
Warkentin TE, Webert KE, Heddle NM. Rationale and design of the informing fresh versus old red
cell management (INFORM) trial: An international pragmatic randomized trial. Transfus Med Rev.
2016; 30: 25-29.
6. Flegel WA, De Castilho SL, Keller MA, Klapper EB, Moulds JM, Noizat-Pirenne F, Shehata N,
Stack G, St-Louis M, Tormey CA, Waxman DA, Weinstock C, Wendel S, Denomme GA. Molecular
immunohaematology round table discussions at the AABB annual meeting, Philadelphia 2014. Blood
Transfus. 2015: 1-9.
7. Goldman M. Iron depletion and routine ferritin measurement in blood donors. ISBT Sci Ser. 2015;
10: 124-128.
8. Heddle N, Hillis C, Shih A. Best practices in the differential diagnosis and reporting of acute
transfusion reactions. International Journal of Clinical Transfusion Medicine. 2016; 4: 1-14.
9. Hillis C, Crowther MA. Acute phase treatment of VTE: Anticoagulation, including non-vitamin K
antagonist oral anticoagulants. Thromb Haemost. 2015; 113: 1193-1202.
10. Hou Y, Carrim N, Wang Y, Gallant RC, Marshall A, Ni H. Platelets in hemostasis and thrombosis:
Novel mechanisms of fibrinogen-independent platelet aggregation and fibronectin-mediated protein
wave of hemostasis. J Biomed Res. 2015; 29: 437-444.
11. Kapur R, Zufferey A, Boilard E, Semple JW. Nouvelle cuisine: Platelets served with inflammation. J
Immunol. 2015; 194: 5579-5587.
12. Landry B, Valencia-Serna J, Gul-Uludag H, Jiang X, Janowska-Wieczorek A, Brandwein J, Uludag
H. Progress in RNAi-mediated molecular therapy of acute and chronic myeloid leukemia. Mol Ther
Nucleic Acids. 2015; 4: e240.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
xvi
13. Marquez-Curtis LA, Janowska-Wieczorek A, McGann LE, Elliott JAW. Mesenchymal stromal
cells derived from various tissues: Biological, clinical and cryopreservation aspects. Cryobiology.
2015; 71: 181-197.
14. Pineault N, Abu-Khader A. Advances in umbilical cord blood stem cell expansion and clinical
translation. Exp Hematol. 2015; 43: 498-513.
15. Pineault N, Boisjoli GJ. Megakaryopoiesis and ex vivo differentiation of stem cells into
megakaryocytes and platelets. ISBT Sci Ser. 2015; 10: 154-162.
16. Solh Z, Taccone MS, Marin S, Athale U, Breakey VR. Neurological PRESentations in sickle cell
patients are not always stroke: A review of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in sickle
cell disease. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2016.
17. Tsampalieros A, Knoll GA. Evaluation and management of proteinuria after kidney transplantation.
Transplantation. 2015; 99: 2049-2060.
18. Walsh GM, Shih AW, Solh Z, Golder M, Schubert P, Fearon M, Sheffield WP. Blood-borne
pathogens: A Canadian Blood Services centre for innovation symposium. Transfus Med Rev. 2016;
30: 53-68.
19. Wang Y, Gallant RC, Ni H. Extracellular matrix proteins in the regulation of thrombus formation.
Curr Opin Hematol. 2016; 23: 280-287.
20. Yan M, Malinowski AK, Shehata N. Thrombocytopenic syndromes in pregnancy. Obstet Med.
2016; 9: 15-20.
21. Yu X, Lazarus AH. Targeting Fcγrs to treat antibody-dependent autoimmunity. Autoimmun Rev.
2016.
22. Zdravic D, Yougbare I, Vadasz B, Li C, Marshall AH, Chen P, Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Ni H. Fetal and
neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2016; 21: 19-27.
Comments/Letters/Editorials
1.
Aslam R, Segel GB, Burack R, Spence SA, Speck ER, Guo L, Semple JW. Splenic lymphocyte
subtypes in immune thrombocytopenia: Increased presence of a subtype of B-regulatory cells. Br J
Haematol. 2016; 173: 159-160.
2. Chang TMS. Red blood cell replacement, or nanobiotherapeutics with enhanced red blood cell
functions? Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2015; 43: 145-147.
3. Hannon JL, Clarke G. Transfusion management of patients receiving daratumumab therapy for
advanced plasma cell myeloma. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 2770-2770.
4. Hebert PC, Tinmouth A. Does age of blood matter? It depends. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2015;
192: 1150-1151.
5. Leach Bennett J. Making good policy decisions: A discipline we cannot afford to ignore.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 2775-2777.
6. Murti M, Louie K, Bigham M, Hoang LMN. Outbreak of shigellosis in a homeless shelter with
healthcare worker transmission - British Columbia, April 2015. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol.
2015; 36: 1372-1373.
7. Spinella PC, Acker J. Storage duration and other measures of quality of red blood cells for
transfusion. JAMA. 2015; 314: 2509-2510.
8. Wang Y, Carrim N, Ni H. Fibronectin orchestrates thrombosis and hemostasis. Oncotarget. 2015; 6:
19350-19351.
9. Wang Y, Ni H. Fibronectin: Extra domain brings extra risk? Blood. 2015; 125: 3043-3044.
10. Webert KE. Splitting versus lumping: Reconsidering the definition of transfusion-related acute lung
injury. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 927-929.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
xvii
11. Yougbare I, Zdravic D, Ni H. Angiogenesis and bleeding disorders in FNAIT. Oncotarget. 2015; 6:
15724-15725.
Book Sections
1. Roy R, Vidal S, Briard J, Shiao TC, Ben RN. Chapter 33: Synthesis of n-(4-methoxybenzyl)-2(α-dglucopyranosyl) acetamide. In Carbohydrate chemistry: Proven synthetic methods, volume 3.
Published by CRC Press, 2015.
Published Abstracts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Abu-Khader A, Bugnot G, Alsheikh M, Boisjoli G, Pasha R, Pineault N. The growth modulatory
activities of osteoblast conditioned media on cord blood progenitors are mediated by soluble and
cellular elements. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 12A.
Abu-Khader A, Bugnot G, Alsheikh M, Pasha R, Pineault N. Conditioned medium represents a
useful solution to increase the expansion of multipotent progenitors with strong platelet engraftment
activity. Blood. 2015; 126: 4276.
Abu-Khader A, Pasha R, Pineault N. Characterizing the impact of osteoblast conditioned media on
the expansion and chemotaxis of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell compartment. Canadian
Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Acker J. The complexity of tissue and organ cryopreservation: A call for interdisciplinary research.
Cryobiology. 2015; 71: 170.
Acker J. Innocuous intracellular ice formation: Ice growth in complex systems. Cryobiology. 2015;
71: 171.
Acker J, Capicciotti C, Kurach J, Turner T, Mancini R, Ben R. Small molecule ice recrystallization
inhibitors enable freezing of human red blood cells with reduced glycerol concentrations. Canadian
Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Acker J, Hansen A, Yi Q, Sondi N, Cserti-Gazdewich C, Pendergrast J, Hannach B. Introduction of
a closed-system cell processor for red blood cell washing: Post-implementation monitoring of safety
and efficacy. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Acker J, Howell A, Turner T, Yi Q. Evaluation of a point-of-care hemoglobinometer for measuring
donor hemoglobin. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 98A.
Acker JP, Alshalani A. Evaluation of stopped flow spectrophotometry to assess the effect of cell
heterogeneity on cell permeability. Cryobiology. 2015; 71: 557-558.
Acker JP, Capicciotti CJ, Kurach JD, Turner TR, Mancini RS, Ben RN. Small molecule ice
recrystallization inhibitors enable freezing of human red blood cells with reduced glycerol
concentrations. Transfus Med Rev. 2015; 29: 277.
Ahlin J, Coroneos M, Cserti-Gazdewich C, Pavenski K, Lin Y, Barrett J, Malinowski A, Shehata N.
The effect of red cell autoantibodies on pregnancy outcomes. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 173A.
Al Habsi K, Liu Y, Heddle N, Carruthers J, Kelton J, McLeod A, MacEachern J, Mangel J,
Anderson D, Vickars L, Tinmouth A, Arnold D. Prolonged responses to rituximab in patients with
immune thrombocytopenia: Extended follow up of a randomized trial. Canadian Society for
Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Al-Habsi KS, Shih AW, Barty R, Wang G, Elahie A, Azzam M, Siddiqui R, Parvizian M, Heddle
NM, Athale UH, Goldman MR, Verhovsek MM. Red cell antigen genotyping compared to standard
serological phenotyping in sickle cell disease patients in Canada: Potential for reducing
alloimmunization. Blood. 2015; 126: 3404-3404.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
xviii
14. Almizraq R, Yi Q, Acker J, On behalf of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST)
Collaborative. Impact of technical and assay variation on reporting of hemolysis in stored red blood
cell products. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 79A.
15. Amash A, Wang Y, Wang L, Lazarus AH. CD44 antibodies can directly inhibit murine macrophage
Fc-gamma receptor and complement receptor 3-mediated phagocytosis. J Thromb Haemost. 2015;
13: 619.
16. Arbaeen A, Levin E, Serrano K, Devine D. Platelet concentrate functionality assessed by
thromboelastography or rotational thromboelastometry: Platelet microvesicle contribution.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 75A.
17. Bakkour S, Acker J, Turner T, Chafets D, Lee T, Busch M. Processing method affects release of
mitochondrial DNA damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) in stored red blood cells.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 80A.
18. Barty R, Cook R, Liu Y, Acker J, Eikelboom J, Heddle N. Exploratory analysis of the association
between donor sex and in-hospital mortality in transfusion recipients. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 23A.
19. Barty R, Liu Y, Pai M, Cook R, Arnold D, Heddle N. Group O red blood cells: Where is universal
donor blood being used? Transfusion. 2015; 55: 153A.
20. Ben R, Briard JG, Poisson JS, Turner TR, Kurach JDR, Acker JP. Ice recrystallization inhibitors –
mitigating cellular damage during freezing, transient warming and thawing. Cryobiology. 2015; 71:
171.
21. Bernardo L, Yu H, Lazarus A. Monoclonal antibodies can suppress the immune response to foreign
erythrocytes independent of Fcγ receptor mediated red blood cell clearance and B-cell inhibition.
Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
22. Bhakta V, Sheffield W. Identification of alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor variants with enhanced
specificity for activated factor XI over thrombin via combined phage display and bacterial lysate
screening. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 258.
23. Bigham M, Skeate R, Hannach B, Young D, Swanson J, Fearon M. Canadian Blood Services’
response to four recent public health advisories of potential hepatitis A virus exposure. Canadian
Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
24. Bodnar M, Blain H, Onell R, Gerges H, Bolster L, Clarke G, Nahirniak S. Where is all the plasma
going? A prospective audit of plasma usage. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website.
2015.
25. Bolte L, Oldfield L, Ison T, Lau W. An unexpected antibody: Apparent anti‐D in a D negative
patient who had only received D negative blood. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
26. Briard J, Poisson J, Turner T, Chandran P, Acker J, Allan D, Ben R. Carbohydrate-based small
molecule ice recrystallization inhibitors as cryopreservatives for red blood cells. Cryobiology. 2015;
71: 554.
27. Briard JG, Poisson JS, Turner TR, Kurach JD, Acker JP, Ben RN. Small molecule ice
recrystallization inhibitors–a novel class of cryoprotectants. Cryobiology. 2015; 71: 540-541.
28. Bugnot G, Abu-Khader A, Pasha R, Pineault N. Characterization of the hematopoietic enhancing
activity of medium conditioned with osteoblast. Cytotherapy. 2015; 17: S58.
29. Byrnes J, Duval C, Wang Y, Mooberry MJ, Lord S, Meijers J, Ni H, Ariens R, Wolberg A. Factor
XIIIa crosslinking of fibrin a-chain mediates red blood cell retention in clots. J Thromb Haemost.
2015; 13: 55.
30. Carrim N, Zhu G, Reddy EC, Xu M, Xu X, Wang Y, Hou Y, L. M, Lavalle C, Li Y, Rui M,
Petruzziello T, Lei X, Reheman A, Chen P, Wilkins JA, Hynes RO, Freedman J, Ni H. Integrin PSI
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
domain has endogenous thiol isomerase function and is a novel target for anti-thrombotic therapy. J
Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 60-61.
Carter RL, Talbot K, Smith T, Lee AY, Pryzdial EL. Oral factor Xa anticoagulants, rivaroxaban and
apixaban, enhance clot dissolution in plasma. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 673.
Celebi-Saltik B, Pineault N, Mantovani D. Expansion of hematopoietic progenitor cells in a new
dynamic co-culture system. Tissue Eng Part A. 2015; 21: S182-183.
Chai-Adisaksopha C, Calvin D, Hillis CM. Pulmonary complications in patients treated with tyrosine
kinase inhibitors, a systematic review and meta-analysis. Blood. 2015; 126: 4030-4030.
Chai-Adisaksopha C, Hillis CM, Lam W. Cardiovascular events in patients with chronic
myelogenous leukemia treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors: A systematic review and metaanalysis. J Clin Oncol. 2015; 33: 7056.
Chargé S, Mastronardi C, Allan D, Elmoazzen H, Golder M. Facilitating cord blood research in
Canada. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Chassé M, A T, English S, McIntyre L, Knoll G, Wolfe D, Wilson K, Shehata N, Forster A, van
Walraven C, Fergusson DA. Effect of blood donor characteristics on transfusion outcomes: A
systematic review and meta-analysis. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 123A.
Chasse M, McIntyre L, Tinmouth A, English S, Acker J, Knoll G, Forster A, Shehata N, Wilson K,
Ducharme R, van Walraven C, Fergusson D. Clinical effects of blood donor characteristics in
transfusion recipients: A framework to study the blood donor-recipient continuum. Transfusion.
2015; 55: 42A.
Chen D, Serrano K, Levin E, Devine D. Minimizing product wastage: Assessing the quality of a
general red cell concentrate inventory compared to an RBC-sparing quality control testing strategy.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 234A.
Chen Z, Schubert P, Culibrk B, Devine D. The effect of riboflavin/ultraviolet (UV) light treatment
on mitochondrial function in platelet concentrates during storage. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 8A.
Ciurcovich L, Stephens V, Petraszko T, Clarke G, Roland K. Investigation of anti-‐d in a patient
following multiple Rh negative blood transfusions. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
Clarke G, Hannon J, Lane D, Petraszko T, Alport E, Dolnik T, Eurich B, Grabner L. Prevalence
of clinically significant red cell alloantibodies in a western Canadian prenatal population. Canadian
Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Cordi D, Dines I, Scalia V, Pilot G, Lalonde C, Fearon M. Donor re-entry at Canadian Blood
Services. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Cote J, Morden J, Goldman M. Identification of RHCE variants in our patient & donor population.
Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Cserti-Gazdewich C, Lin Y, Lieberman L, Callum J, Pendergrast J, Pavenski K, Lau W, Skeate R,
Latour C, Shehata N. Blood use and kell seroconversion-mitigation practices in females in five
hospitals. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 172A.
da Silveira Cavalcante L, Acker J, Holovati J. Effect of liposome treatment on rat red blood cell
membrane microvesiculation during hypothermic storage. Canadian Society for Transfusion
Medicine Website. 2015.
da Silveira Cavalcante L, Feng Q, Chin-Yee I, Acker JP, Holovati JL. Safety of transfusing
liposome-treated rat RBCs in an anemic rat model. Cryobiology. 2015; 71: 553.
de Korte D, Fitzpatrick A, Morrison A, Thibault L, Marks D, Seldsam A, Acker J. In vitro
evaluation of the effects of timing of irradiation on stored red cell concentrates. Vox Sang. 2015; 109:
154.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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48. de Korte D, Thibault L, Morrison A, Fitzpatrick A, Marks D, Seltsam A, Acker J, On behalf of the
Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative. Timing of gamma irradiation
and sex of blood donor influences in vitro characteristics of red cell concentrates. Transfusion. 2015;
55: 38A.
49. Delaney M, Taune-Wikman A, van de Watering L, Verdoes J, Emery S, Murphy M, Flach S, Staves
J, Arnold D, Kaufman R, Ziman A, Harm S, Fung M, Dunbar N, Buser A, Meyer E, Savoia H,
Abeysinghe P, Heddle N, Tinmouth A, Traore A, Yazer H, On behalf of the BEST Collaborative.
Red blood cell transfusion antigen matching influence on gestational outcomes (AMIGO) study.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 25A.
50. Devine D. Introducing the red cell storage lesion. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 3.
51. Doncaster C, Webert K. Contingency planning requires hospital participation. Canadian Society for
Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
52. Duncan J, Nahirniak S, Onell R, Clarke G. Two cases of the variant dau5 RHD allele associated
with anti d mediated hemolytic disease of the newborn. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
53. Elmoazzen H, Halpenny M, Martin L, Mostert K, Allan D, Petraszko T, Dibdin N, Campbell T,
Letcher B, Yang L. Numeration of colony‐forming unit granulocyte‐macrophage (CFU-GM)
colonies in cord blood using an automated instrument: STEMvisionTM. Canadian Society for
Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
54. Elmoazzen H, Halpenny M, Martin L, Mostert K, Allan D, Petraszko T, Dibdin N, Campbell T,
Letcher B, Yang L. Umbilical cord blood processing: First year operations at the Canadian Blood
Services, National Public Cord Blood Bank. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website.
2015.
55. Elmoazzen H, Halpenny M, Martin L, Mostert K, Lawless T, Quinlan E, Allan D, Petraszko T,
Dibdin N, Campbell T, Yang L. Umbilical cord blood collection: First year operations at the
Canadian Blood Services, National Public Cord Blood Bank. Canadian Society for Transfusion
Medicine Website. 2015.
56. Estey M, Nahirniak S, Bruce A, Clarke G. Acquired hemoglobinopathy following exchange
transfusion for sickle cell anemia. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
57. Fearon M, O’Brien S, Delage G, Scalia V, Bernier F, Dubuc S, Germain M, Pilot G, Yi Q, Lindsay
R. Human babesiosis and tick distribution in Canada. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
58. Fearon M, Skeate R, Bigham M, Cronin P, Biemans J, Guenette K, McIntyre L, Shimla S, Dunbar
M. Ebola preparedness at Canadian Blood Services. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
59. Fish EN, McCarthy SD, Hoenen T, Branch DR. IFN-β treatment for Ebola virus disease: Bench to
bedside. Cytokine. 2015; 76: 77.
60. Goldman M, Coté J, Hannon J, Clarke G, Ochoa-Garay G, Pambrun C. RHD genotyping for
prenatal patients with a serologic weak D phenotype. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
61. Goldman M, Coté J, Hannon J, Clarke G, Ochoa-Garay G, Pambrun C. RHD genotyping for
prenatal patients with a serologic weak D phenotype. Transfus Med Rev. 2015; 29: 276-277.
62. Goldman M, Land K, Robillard P, Tomasulo P, Wiersum-Osselton J. Development of standard
definitions for surveillance of complications related to blood donation. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 36.
63. Goldman M, Uzicanin S, O’Brien S, Scalia J, Scalia V. Iron deficient blood donors - degree of
understanding and actions taken after notification. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 146.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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64. Goldman M, Uzicanin S, Scalia V, O’Brien S. Ferritin testing in Canadian blood donors.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 22A.
65. Guo L, Speck E, Aslam R, Kapur R, Ni H, Semple J. Suppression of cell-mediated immune
thrombocytopenia (ITP) by B cell depletion therapy in a murine model. J Thromb Haemost. 2015;
13: 146-147.
66. Halpenny M, Elmoazzen H, Martin L, Mostert K, Allan D, Petraszko T, Dibdin N, Campbell T,
Letcher B, Murphy K, den Admirant M, Acker J, Yang L. Numeration of colony-forming unitgranulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) colonies in cord blood by using an automated instrument:
STEMvision. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 52A.
67. Halpenny M, Elmoazzen H, Martin L, Mostert K, Allan D, Petraszko T, Dibdin N, Campbell T,
Letcher B, Yang L. Cord blood processing: First-year operations at the Canadian Blood Services’
National Public Cord Blood Bank. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 49A.
68. Hammond D, Saidenberg E, Tinmouth A. Single-center experience with rituximab in the treatment
of inhibitor-associated hemostatic disorders. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 762.
69. Hannon J, Clarke G, Berardi P, Barr G, Cote J, Fallis R, Alport T, Lane D, Petraszko T, Ochoa
G, Goldman M. Resolving variable maternal D typing by using serology and genotyping in selected
prenatal patients. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 149A.
70. Hannon J, Senft N, Clarke G. Resolution of "possible D" phenotype reported following genotyping
using Immucor BioArray RHD BeadChip™ kit. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
71. Heddle N, Liu Y, Acker J, Barty R, Eikelboom J, Arnold D, Hsia C, O’Brien S, Webert K, Cook
RJ. Exploratory analysis of a blood processing method and in-hospital mortality. Transfusion. 2015;
55: 23A.
72. Howell A, Turner T, Hansen A, Acker J. Pre-processing length of storage and method of
glycerolization affect the outdate of RCCs cryopreserved by using a closed-system cell processor.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 78A.
73. Hume A, Ddungu H, Kajumbula H, Kyeyune-Byabazaire D, Jackson O, Ramirez-Arcos S, Tobian
A. Patient characteristics and rate of acute transfusion reactions to platelet transfusions in Uganda.
Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 364.
74. Hume A, Ddungu H, Kajumbula H, Kyeyune-Byabazaire D, Jackson O, Ramirez-Arcos S, Tobian
A. Rate of platelet bacterial contamination in Uganda. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 171.
75. Jordan A, Yi Q, Acker J. Age matters: How donor characteristics influence red cell product quality.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 77A.
76. Kapur R, Kim M, Shanmugabhavananthan S, Speck ER, Aslam R, Guo L, Zufferey A, Semple JW.
C-reactive protein (CRP) enhances murine antibody-mediated transfusion related acute lung injury
(TRALI). Blood. 2015; 126: 3561.
77. Kapur R, Kim M, Shanmugabhavananthan S, Speck ER, Aslam R, Zufferey A, Semple JW. CD4+
CD25+ Foxp3+ T regulatory cells protect against murine antibody-mediated transfusion-related
acute lung injury (TRALI). Blood. 2015; 126: 2342.
78. Klein-Bosgoed C, Schubert P, Devine D. Pathogen inactivation treatment affects platelet messenger
RNA transcripts differently. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 39A.
79. Kozlowski H, Lai E, McCarthy S, Branch D. Extracellular histones: Identifying a new host factor to
regulate HIV-1 infection. Canadian Association for HIV/AIDS Research Website. 2015.
80. Lau W, Bolte L, Oldfield L. ABO discrepancy in a paediatric patient. Canadian Society for
Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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81. Lauzon D, Owens W, Tremblay D, Coovadia A. On the brink - testing Ontario’s plan for blood
shortages Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
82. Lusianti RE, Lahmann JM, Dickinson A, Benson JD, Acker JP, Higgins AZ. Accelerating post-thaw
erythrocyte washing using microfluidics. Cryobiology. 2015; 71: 538-539.
83. Manning N, Heddle N, Arnold D, Crowther M, Siegal D. Interventions to reduce blood loss from
laboratory testing in critically ill patients and impact on transfusion: A systematic review. Canadian
Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
84. Manning N, Heddle NM, Arnold D, Crowther MA, Siegal D. Interventions to reduce blood loss
from laboratory testing in critically ill patients and impact on transfusion: A systematic review. J
Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 974.
85. McCarthy S, Kozlowski H, Branch D. HIV-1 nucleoside analogues inhibit ebola virus replication:
New application of cART. Canadian Association for HIV/AIDS Research Website. 2015.
86. McVey M, Spring CM, Kuebler WM. Optimizing procedures for transport and processing of clinical
cerebrospinal fluids to preserve extracellular vesicular (EVs) miRNAs. J Extracell Vesicles. 2015; 4:
163.
87. Menard M, Jen C, Lazarus A. Anti-erythrocyte antibody mediated phagocytosis in vitro is linked to
its therapeutic role in murine immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Canadian Society for Transfusion
Medicine Website. 2015.
88. Mithoowani S, Gregory-Miller K, Goy J, Miller MC, Moroozi N, Arnold DM. Higher or lower dose
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89. Mundil D, Cameron-Vendrig A, Shikatani EA, Reheman A, Siraj MA, Momen A, Afroze T, Backx
P, Ni H, Husain M. Targeting molecular pathways in diabetes associated cardiovascular disease.
Cardiology. 2015; 131(suppl 2): 171.
90. Nahirniak S, Lunty B, Winchester D, Malone P, Hamacher K, Gaal H, Miller S, Onell R, Clarke G.
Changing antibody investigation process to save time, money, and, hopefully, patients. Transfusion.
2015; 55: 137A.
91. Nahirniak S, Schmitt K, Prokopchuk-Gauk O, Blain H, Onell R, Clarke G. Where do all the red
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92. Nahirniak S, Yue T, Engels P, Widder S, Clarke G. Intraosseous specimens: Suitable for
pretransfusion testing in trauma? Transfusion. 2015; 55: 168A.
93. O’Brien S, Delage G, Seed C, Pillonel J, Fabra C, Davison K, Kitchen A, Steele W, Leiby D.
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109: 238.
94. O’Brien S, Goldman M, Vassallo R, Steele W, Di Angelantonio E, Van den Hurk K, Custer B,
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Netherlands, England and the United States: A BEST collaborative group study Vox Sang. 2015;
109.
95. O’Brien S, Osmond L, Goldman M. Impact of a 5-year deferral for men who have sex with men on
donor compliance. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 21A.
96. O’Brien S, Osmond L, Goldman M. Transmissible disease risk factors among men who have sex
with men - comparison of blood donors vs. community men. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 202.
97. O'Brien S, Fearon M, Nahirniak S, Scalia V, Preiksaitis J. Prevalence and incidence of
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Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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98. O'Brien S, Osmond L, Goldman M, Fearon M. Donor travel survey. Canadian Society for
Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
99. O'Brien S, Uzicanin S, Scalia V, Goldman M. Iron deficiency in apheresis donors. Canadian
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100. Pigeau S, Cote J, Gill B, Goldman M. The identification of U- and U+ var donor RBC units.
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101. Pineault N, Bugnot G, Pasha R, Abu-Khader A. Characterization of the hematopoietic enhancing
activity of medium conditioned with osteoblasts. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
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102. Porter S, Lew K, Clarke G, Nahirniak S. Red blood cell usage and iron overload trends in
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103. Poseluzny D, Lagerquist O, Werstiuk G, Ourdev I, Slomp J, Nahirniak S, Clarke G. What is the true
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104. Prokopchuk-Gauk O, Schmitt K, Blain H, Clarke G, Nahirniak S. Hemoglobin level as a trigger for
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106. Pryzdial E, Sutherland M, Simon A. Production of infectious dengue virus by platelets. Canadian
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107. Pryzdial EL, Sutherland MR, Simon AY. Production of infectious dengue virus by platelets.
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108. Ramirez-Arcos S, Kou Y, Pagotto F, Hannach B. Fatal false‐negative transfusion infection with a
buffy coat platelet pool contaminated with staphylococcus epidermidis: A case report. Canadian
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109. Ramirez-Arcos S, Kou Y, Pagotto F, Hannach B. Fatal transfusion-transmitted staphylococcus
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110. Ramirez-Arcos S, Kou Y, Perkins H, Halpenny M, Elmoazzen H, Toye B. Validation of microbial
testing in hematopoietic progenitor cell – apheresis product at Canadian Blood Services. Canadian
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111. Ramirez-Arcos S, Kou Y, Taha M, Goldman M. Evaluation of alternative skin disinfection
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2015.
112. Ramirez-Arcos S, Kou Y, Taha M, Goldman M. Selecting an alternative skin disinfection method
for donors allergic to chlorhexidine at Canadian Blood Services. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 74.
113. Ramirez-Arcos S, McDonald C, Benjamin R. Survey for bacterial testing in platelet concentrates in
Latin America. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 236.
114. Ramirez-Arcos S, Taha M, Schubert P, Maurer E, Jenkins C, NetCAD. Insights into bacterial
survival and distribution during buffy coat platelet production. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 231.
115. Rebulla P, Vaglio S, Aprili G, Beccaria F, Coluzzi S, Girelli G, Graf M, Isernia P, Marconi M,
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Clinical efficacy and safety of platelets in additive solution treated with two commercial pathogen
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116. Rentas S, Holzapfel N, Belew M, Voisin V, Pratt G, Bader G, Yeo G, Hope K. Musashi-2
postranscriptionally attenuates aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling to expand human hematopoietic
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Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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117. Schubert P, Culibrk B, Devine D. p38MAP kinase regulates protein synthesis in platelets via eIF4E
phosphorylation. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 118A.
118. Schubert P, Culibrk B, Fang T, Karwal S, Devine D. Inhibition of Wnt signaling in platelets reduces
storage lesion. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 80A.
119. Schubert P, Culibrk B, Karwal S, Goodrich R, Devine D. Protein synthesis in platelets despite
pathogen inactivation with riboflavin and UV light. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 80A.
120. Schubert P, Kelly A, Lau T, Smethurst P, Jansen S, Cardigan R, Devine D. Proteomic analysis of
platelets from donors of different levels of responsiveness. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 166.
121. Schulman S, Carrier M, Lee AY, Shivakumar S, Blostein M, Spencer FA, Solymoss S, Barty R,
Wang G, Heddle N, Douketis JD. Perioperative management of dabigatran: A prospective cohort
study. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 203.
122. Semple J, Tabuchi A, Kim M, McKenzie C, Kleuser B, Rotstein O, Arenz C, Kuebler W, McVey M.
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sphingolipid-dependent mechanism. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2015; 191: A2382.
123. Semple JW, Speck ER, Aslam R, Kim M, Zufferey A, Ni H, Catalina M, Francovitch R. Successful
treatment of thrombocytopenia with staphylococcal protein a (PRTX-100) in a murine model of
immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Blood. 2015; 126: 1045.
124. Serrano K, Pambrun C, Levin E, Devine D. Supernatant reduction of gamma-irradiated red cell
concentrates minimizes potentially harmful substances present in transfusion aliquots for neonates.
Transfusion. 2015; 55: 77A.
125. Sheffield W, Eltringham-Smith L, Ni H, Pryzdial E. Identical bleeding reduction in coagulopathic
mice transfused with four coagulation factors or plasma. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
126. Shehata N, Chasse M, Colas J, Ducharme R, Malinowsk A, Forster A, Fergusson D, Tinmouth A,
Lawrence N, Wilson K. Risk factors for red cell transfusion in obstetric patients. Transfusion. 2015;
55: 174A.
127. Sheppard D, Tay J, Palmer D, Xenocostas A, Doulaverakis C, Huebsch L, McDiarmid S, Mallick R,
Martin L, Birch P, Hamelin L, Allan D, Bredeson C. Improved prediction of CD34+ cell yield prior
to peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cell collection using a modified target value-tailored
approach. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
128. Shih A, Bhagirath V, Liaw P, Acker J, Eikelboom J, Heddle N. Quantification of cell free DNA in
red blood cell concentrates produced via whole blood or buffy coat methods. Canadian Society for
Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
129. Shih A, Bhagirath V, Liaw P, Acker J, Eikelboom J, Heddle N. Quantification of cell-free DNA in
red blood cell concentrates produced via buffy coat or whole blood-filtered methods. Transfusion.
2015; 55: 9A.
130. Shih A, Bhagirath VC, Liaw PC, Acker J, Eikelboom J, Heddle N. Quantification of cell free DNA
in red blood cell concentrates produced via buffy coat (B1) or whole blood (B2) methods. J Thromb
Haemost. 2015; 13: 468.
131. Sholapur NS, Hillis CM, Crowther MA, Leber B, Khokhar F, Cook R, Barr R, Heddle NM.
Assessing disease stability of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome for an age of blood
randomized controlled trial: A chart review. Blood. 2015; 126: 5252-5252.
132. Sholapur NS, Lane S, Hillis CM, Crowther MA, Leber B, Cook R, Barr R, Heddle NM. A
qualitative research study to understand post-transfusion well-being in patients with myelodysplastic
syndromes. Blood. 2015; 126: 4446-4446.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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133. Singh S, Kluger R. Bioorthogonal CuAAC-based hemoglobin-hemoglobin coupling optimized by
regioselective serial cross-linking. Pacifichem 2015. 2015: 221.
134. Sowemimo-Coker S, Acker J, Narla M, Popovsky M, Turner T, Hansen A, Romero V, Ceniza M,
Herschel L, Herzog E, Dumont L. Development of a statistical model for predicting in vivo viability
of red blood cells: Importance of red cell membrane changes. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 56A.
135. Spindler-Raffel E, McDonald C, Benjamin R, Aplin K, Gabriel C, Hourfar K, Jacobs M, Keil S, de
Korte D, Mukhtar Z, Niekerk T, Ramirez-Arcos S, Rojo J, Satake M, Seltsam A, Stoermer M,
Wagner S. Platelet transfusion relevant bacteria reference strains - suitability test of different
candidate strains. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 230.
136. Spindler-Raffel E, McDonald C, Benjamin R, Aplin K, Gabriel C, Jacobs M, Ramirez-Arcos S,
Satake M, Seltsam A, Wagner S. Platelet transfusion transmitted relevant bacteria - growth ability of
different Morganella morganii strains in platelets. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 235.
137. Sutherland MR, Simon AY, Pryzdial ELG. The direct dengue virus-platelet interaction: Generation
of infectious progeny. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 199.
138. Szkotak A, Clarke G, Vandergouwe L, Stang L. Province wide implementation of the thrombin time
for qualitative assessment of dabigatran clearance. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 539.
139. Thompson T, Tinmouth A, Pinkerton P, Callum J, Hsia C, Shepherd L, Webert K. A repeat
provincial audit of frozen plasma (FP) and prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs). Transfusion.
2015; 55: 162A.
140. Traore A, Chan A, Iorio A, Heddle N, Walker I, on behalf of Association of Hemophilia Clinic
Directors of Canada. Utilization of anti-inhibitors products and inhibitors status of severe hemophilia
patients: 5 years national data from the Canadian hemophilia assessment and resource management
system. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 362.
141. Turley E, Delisle M, Lalji S, Skoll A, Nelson T, Goldman M, Clarke G, Au N. Del phenotype with
anti-D formation and severe HDFN due to a novel RHD mutation: A case report. Canadian Society
for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
142. Vadasz B, Zdravic D, Chen P, Yougbare I, Zhu G, Frampton J, Poncz M, Freedman J, Ni H.
Pathogenesis of anti-integrin αIIb-mediated fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia:
Establishment of novel murine models in αIIb deficient and human αIIb transgenic mice. J Thromb
Haemost. 2015; 13: 871.
143. Walsh G, Chargé S. ResearchUnits: Development and evaluation of a knowledge mobilization tool
for transfusion medicine research. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
144. Ward S, Kelly A. Risk-based decision-making for blood safety. Vox Sang. 2015; 109: 82.
145. Xu M, Carrim N, Zhu G, Chen P, Ni H. Anti-GPIbalpha antibodies induce immune
thrombocytopenia in distinct pathways: Fc-dependent vs. Fc-independent. J Thromb Haemost. 2015;
13: 870-871.
146. Xu M, Ma L, Carrim N, Yougbare I, Li J, Chen P, Zhu G, Ni H. Platelet GPIba is important for
thrombopoietin production and thrombopoietin-induced platelet generation. Blood. 2015; 126: 12.
147. Yanitski K, Gaal H, Clarke G, Nahirniak S. Rh (D) alloimmunization in Rh negative patients
receiving Rh positive red cells. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
148. Yau J, Hou Y, Lei X, Teoh H, Quan A, Singh K, Ramadan A, Ni H, Verma S. Endothelial autophagy
regulates arterial thrombus formation in mice. Can J Cardiol. 2015; 31: S196-S197.
149. Yau JW, Hou Y, Lei X, Ramadan A, Teoh H, Quan A, Singh KK, Al-Omran M, Ni H, Verma S. A
novel role of endothelial autophagy in the regulation of thrombosis in vivo. Circulation. 2015; 132:
A10824.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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150. Yougbare I, Tai WS, Zdravic D, Vadasz B, Marshall AH, Chen P, Zhu G, Leong-Poi H, Adamson
SL, Freedman J, Ni H. Pathology of placenta in fetal and neonatal immune thrombocytopenia: Roles
of TH17 immune responses, uterine natural killers cells and angiogenic factors. Am J Reprod
Immunol. 2015; 73: 60.
151. Yougbare I, Tai W-S, Zdravic D, Vadasz B, Marshall AH, Chen P, Zhu G, Leong-Poi H, Qu D, Yu
LX, Adamson LS, Sled J, Freedman J, Ni H. Pathology of placenta in fetal and neonatal immune
thrombocytopenia: Roles of TH17 immune responses, anti-platelet antibodies and angiogenic factors.
J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 105.
152. Yougbare I, Wei-she T, Zdravic D, Chen P, Zhu G, Leong-Poi H, Dawei Q, Yu XL, Lee SA, Sled J,
Freedman J, Ni H. Natural killer cells contribute to pathophysiology of placenta leading to
miscarriage in fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. Blood. 2015; 126: 2254-2254.
153. Zeller M, Arnold D, Al Habsi K, Cserti‐Gazdewich C, Delage G, Lebrun A, Heddle N. An
overview of Donath Landsteiner testing in Canada: Implications for testing. Canadian Society for
Transfusion Medicine Website. 2015.
154. Zeller M, Heddle N, Kelton J, Hamilton K, Wang G, Sholapur N, Carruthers J, Hsia C, Pearson M,
Arnold D. Patterns of practice and cost of therapy of immune thrombocytopenia since the
introduction of thrombopoietin receptor agonists. Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine
Website. 2015.
155. Zeller M, van de Watering L, Heddle N, Yazer M, On behalf of the BEST Collaborative. Group O
and RhD negative utilization patterns and associated hospital policies: A multicenter, international
study. Transfusion. 2015; 55: 154A.
156. Zufferey A, Speck ER, Guo L, Aslam R, Kapur R, Semple JW. MHC class I antigen presentation by
megakaryocytes. J Thromb Haemost. 2015; 13: 617.
157. Zufferey A, Speck ER, Guo L, Aslam R, Kapur R, Semple JW. Murine bone marrow-derived
megakaryocytes are capable of antigen cross-presentation on major histocompatibility class (MHC) I
molecules. Blood. 2015; 126: 3465.
Canadian Blood Services Circular of Information
1. Jenkins C. Circular of information for the use of human blood components: Hematopoietic
progenitor cells (HPC), cord blood. Blood.ca website. 2015.
2. Jenkins C. Circular of information for the use of human blood components: Plasma components.
Blood.ca website. 2015.
3. Jenkins C. Circular of information for the use of human blood components: Platelets. Blood.ca
website. 2015.
4. Jenkins C. Circular of information for the use of human blood components: Red blood cells,
leukocytes reduced (LR). Blood.ca website. 2015.
Canadian Blood Services Website Publications
1. Acker JP. ResearchUnit: Bath time for blood cells: Improving the red blood cell washing process.
Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2015.
2. Goldman M. ResearchUnit: ABO...K? Investigating if young females need more than ABOcompatible blood. Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2015.
3. Goldman M, Hannaford K, Hannon J, Berardi P. Molecular immunohematology at Canadian Blood
Services: Red cell antigen genotyping. Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2016.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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4. Goldman M, Scalia V, Devine D. Donor selection, transmissible disease testing and pathogen
reduction. In Clinical Guide to Transfusion. Edited by Clarke G, Chargé S. Published in
transfusionmedicine.ca by Canadian Blood Services, 2015.
5. Heddle NM, Acker JP. ResearchUnit: Datamining: Digging for deeper understanding of blood
components and transfusion outcomes. Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2016.
6. Lazarus A. ResearchUnit: Single site solution: Engineering novel antibodies for the treatment of
ITP. Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2015.
7. Nahirniak S. Albumin. In Clinical Guide to Transfusion. Edited by Clarke G, Chargé S. Published
in transfusionmedicine.ca by Canadian Blood Services, 2015.
8. Ni H. ResearchUnit: Novel discovery reveals new diagnostic markers and treatment targets for
bleeding disorder. Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2015.
9. Poon MC, Goodyear MD, Lee A. Coagulation factor concentrates. In Clinical Guide to Transfusion.
Edited by Clarke G, Chargé S. Published in transfusionmedicine.ca by Canadian Blood Services,
2015.
10. Poon MC, Goodyear MD, Lee A. Hemostatic disorders. In Clinical Guide to Transfusion. Edited by
Clarke G, Chargé S. Published in transfusionmedicine.ca by Canadian Blood Services, 2015.
11. Pryzdial EL. ResearchUnit: Hijacked: The role of platelets in dengue virus infection revealed.
Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2016.
12. Serrano K. ResearchUnit: Making the cut: Protein breakdown in platelets during storage.
Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2015.
13. Withers SG, Kizhakkedathu J. ResearchUnit: Breakthrough brings universal blood a step closer to
reality. Transfusionmedicine.ca website. 2015.
Fast Policy Facts
1. Toews M, Caulfield T, Nelson E, Ogbogu U, Hartell D. Rights and interests in human bodies and
biological materials. Canadian National Transplant Research Program Fast Policy Facts: Human
Bodies and Biological Materials. 2015.
Technical Reports
1. Acker JP, Yi QL. CompoLab evaluation - summary of statistical analysis. Internal report submitted
to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
2. Blake J. Methods for estimating donor deferrals with the CompoLab hemoglobin measurement
system. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
3. Chargé SB. Opportunities for Canadian Blood Services in delivering cellular therapies. Part one:
Understanding the field of cellular therapy. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services,
Executive Management Team. 2015.
4. Hillis C, Shih A, Jamula E, Shah N, Lin Y, Heddle NM. Final report to MOHLTC - audit of
intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) indications and effectiveness in Ontario tertiary care centres.
External report submitted to Ontario Regional Blood Coordination Network. 2015.
5. Howell A, Acker J. Hematocrit adjustment pilot: Glycerolization and deglycerolization of red blood
cell products using the ACP-215. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
6. Howell A, Acker J. Volume reduction pilot: Glycerolization and deglycerolization of red blood cell
products using the ACP-215. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
7. Howell A, Acker JP. Phase 1: Glycerolization and deglycerolization of red blood cell products using
the ACP-215. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
8. Howell A, Acker JP, Jenkins C. Protocol for preparing a whole blood sample with a hemoglobin
concentration of 120-130 g/L. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
9. Howell A, Turner TR, Acker JP. Unit investigation: Possible high K+ in irradiated RCC unit.
Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
xxviii
10. Lazarus A, Ni H. Environmental scan: Are platelet additive solutions ready for prime time in
Canada? Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services, Product Innovation Operating
Committee. 2015.
11. Mastronardi C, Jenkins C. Elimination of CompoCool elements development study. Internal report
submitted to Canadian Blood Services, Supply Chain - Production Process Management. 2015.
12. Mastronardi C, Jenkins C. Rinse modification - platelet pooling process development study. Internal
report submitted to Canadian Blood Services, Supply Chain - Production Process Management.
2015.
13. Ramirez-Arcos S. Antibiotic neutralization in cord blood by-products plasma and RBCs used for
sterility testing. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services, Cord Blood Bank & Stem
Cell Manufacturing. 2016.
14. Ramirez-Arcos S. Bacterial detection testing - proficiency test kits and proficiency testing results
reports. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services, Wanda Lefresne, Associate Director,
Production Process Management. 2015.
15. Ramirez-Arcos S. Bacterial growth during storage of thawed cryoprecipitate at 20-24C for 24 hours.
Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2016.
16. Ramirez-Arcos S. Bacterial growth in culture bottles used for sterility testing of cord blood units.
Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services, Manager, Stem Cell Manufacturing and
Hospital Services. 2015.
17. Ramirez-Arcos S. Certificate of conformance - BPA and BPN lots. Internal report submitted to
Canadian Blood Services, Quality Assurance. 2015-2016.
18. Ramirez-Arcos S. Ten years of platelet screening for bacterial contamination at Canadian Blood
Services. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
19. Sheffield W, Pryzdial E. Environmental scan: Freeze-dried (lyophilized) plasma. Internal report
submitted to Canadian Blood Services, Product Innovation Operating Committee. 2015.
20. Sheffield WP, Bhakta V, Ramirez-Arcos S, Kou Y. Investigation of FP unit returned by hospital
customer on 2015-11-12. Internal report submitted to Canadian Blood Services, Craig Jenkins,
Senior Manager, Quality Monitoring Program. 2015.
21. Turner T, Acker J. Red thawed frozen plasma investigation. Internal report submitted to Canadian
Blood Services, Edmonton. 2015.
22. Turner TR, Acker JP. Quality assessment of cryopreserved/irradiated SAGM/RBC units. Internal
report submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
23. Turner TR, Acker JP. Unit investigation: O negative, Gerbich negative donor. Internal report
submitted to Canadian Blood Services. 2015.
Theses
1. Vadasz B. Pathogenesis of anti-integrin αIIb-mediated fetal and neonatal alloimmune
thrombocytopenia: Establishment of novel murine models in αIIb deficient and Human αIIb
transgenic mice. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. MSc. Supervisor: Ni H.
University of Toronto; 2015.
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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Appendix III: Health Canada Financial
Contribution
Summary of Expenditures – April 1 2015 to March 31 2016
Schedule 1: Overview
Operating funds (Schedule 2)
989,251
Funding programs (Schedule 3)
5,303,212
Total
$6,292,464
Schedule 2: Operating funds
Centre for Innovation program administration
573,719
NetCAD operations
130,751
Intellectual property protection and other legal activities
284,782
Total
$989,251
Schedule 3: Funding programs
Canadian Blood Services/CIHR partnership operating grants
2,588,517
Canadian Blood Services/CIHR new investigator program
60,000
Canadian Blood Services intramural operating grants
759,076
James Kreppner fellowship in blood system studies
75,000
Small projects funding
14,296
Graduate fellowship program
415,177
Postdoctoral fellowship program
378,916
Summer internship program
84,532
Program Support Award for Canadian transfusion medicine and science
research
CIHR partnership: Transplantation research
691,594
50,000
Additional funding for research projects
186,104
Total
$5,303,212
Notes:
• Funding programs include capital expenditures under $10,000
Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation – Progress Report 2015-2016
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