RBC Enzyme Modification Designer RBC and PEG
Program Code: 433-TC
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (ET)

MODERATOR
James P. AuBuchon, MD, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

SPEAKERS
George Garratty, PhD, FRCPath, American Red Cross Blood Services
James P. AuBuchon, MD, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Martin Olsson, MD, PhD, Lund University

DESCRIPTION
What if any unit of red cells could truly be given to any patient? Could this really happen? This session will provide participants with an update on steps being explored to remove (through enzymatic treatment) or mask (through “covering up” through treatment with polyethylene glycol) immunologic epitopes on the surface of red cells to yield cells that type as Group O and that are unable to elicit or be the target for an immunologic response. The session will feature three presentations by scientists who have been working directly in this field to highlight the composition and enzymatic vulnerabilities of the carbohydrates on the surface of red cells, the effects of PEGylation on red cells, and the current status of clinical trials. The session will also include a discussion of the logistic, financial and clinical ramifications of having red cells that were truly “universal”.