Alternative methods of platelet storage and pathogen reduction

Abstract

Research on alternative platelet (PLT) storage methods is focused on extending shelf‐life in order to improve PLT inventory management while maintaining quality and function. After decades of investigation, cryopreservation and cold storage are gaining prominence as methods that can dramatically improve PLT availability in remote, rural and isolated areas, including war zones. Patients with active bleeding who need to clot rapidly benefit from the procoagulant phenotype of cryopreserved or cold‐stored PLTs, which can quickly bind to the damaged endothelium. An innovative research area is combining pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs) with different storage methods. The advantages of refrigeration and cryopreservation can be maximized when used together with PRT treatment, allowing longer storage with a considerably reduced risk of infectious disease transmission.