Blog | HemaCare

Disease state specimens boost the ability to achieve scientific advances and characterize the cellular and molecular features of a disease and its progression.

Progress in personalized medicine continues as more methods are developed to enhance diagnostic and prognostic efforts. Molecular technologies allow the identification of factors that can be used for early disease diagnosis, prediction of disease susceptibility, monitor disease development, determine treatment effectiveness, and to determine a patient’s disease prognosis. The availability of disease state specimens has bolstered the ability to achieve these advances and to characterize the cellular and molecular features of a disease and its progression.

Human influenza A and B viruses cause annual epidemics of the flu worldwide. Neuraminidase inhibitors such as Tamiflu are less effective in treating IBV than IAV. Monoclonal antibodies against IBV have been developed, but they have limited effectiveness. Given these limitations, researchers conducted studies using an in vivo plasmablast enrichment technique to isolate a human monoclonal antibody capable of neutralizing IBVs in vitro and that also protects against lethal IBV challenges in vivo.

Regrowth and healing of skin after severe traumas such as burns and other extensive skin damage are significant medical challenges and depend on complex skin regeneration mechanisms. Skin and other tissue regeneration processes start with platelet degranulation and clotting that are associated with the release of a number of factors including clotting factors and cytokines. Skin tissue regeneration also relies on the action of growth factors. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is beneficial for tissue regeneration processes because platelets promote the secretion of growth factors that are essential in wound healing.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma is a common, but aggressive liver cancer with a low survival rate. Given the immunogenicity of HBV and tumor cells, immunotherapies based on T-cell cytotoxicity may be viable treatment approaches to hepatocellular carcinoma. Studies were conducted to characterize the cytotoxic T-cell (CD4+ and CD8+) responses involved in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma. 

Many people have at some point thought of, or actually donated their blood for medical use by those most in need. Most people are familiar with the use of donated blood in emergency situations to replace trauma-related blood loss. However, donated blood has many uses including for medical research and planned therapies. Research using donated blood supports crucial development of immunotherapies for different types of cancer, auto-immune diseases, rare diseases and conditions, and more.