Blog

Amniotic membrane becoming more viable alternative for potential eye healing

September 9, 2019

Major advances in the use of amniotic membrane are making it a more ideal procedure in the field of ophthalmology for certain eye diseases and injuries.

The story of grafting and bandage methods in eye surgery reconstruction was featured in the August issue of EyeWorld Magazine.

“Amniotic membrane is a popular choice among ophthalmologists for many different types of ocular reconstruction surgeries pertaining to the anterior segment of the eye,” said Jennifer Wehmeyer, Scientist II, Research & Development at BioBridge Global.

Amniotic membrane, or amnion, is the innermost layer of the placenta that forms around the fetus. The amnion is carefully removed from the rest of the placenta, cleaned and sterilized, and then preserved for transplant through freezing or dehydration.

Millennials seen as future of blood supply

September 2, 2019

Millennials hold the key to an adequate blood supply in the United States, according to a recent survey sponsored by Abbott, which creates products that test more than 60% of the world’s blood supply.

Donors older than 50 have provided the largest percentage of donations for years – in South Texas, they made 37% of donations in 2018 – but many older donors are becoming ineligible to give because of medical conditions.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, Millennials (those born between 1981-96) soon will overtake the Baby Boomers (born 1946-64) as the largest percentage of the U.S. population. That leaves more of the responsibility for maintaining an adequate blood supply on them.

What happens to my blood donation?

August 26, 2019

One frequent question we get asked at the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center on a regular basis is “What happens to my donation?”

If you make a whole blood donation – the most common type – your blood is separated into three components: red cells, platelets and plasma. Each are used by doctors for different treatments. You also can donate just platelets or red cells.

Blood is life across armed borders

August 19, 2019

Amid the historical tensions between Israel and Palestine, blood centers and hospitals have formed an alliance to share blood across borders.

The story of this unique partnership was featured in the August issue of American Society of Hematology.

The cooperation falls under the haunting reality of the acts of violence, terror, and warfare that citizens experience from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Magen David Adom (MDA) manages the blood supply of Israel. MDA conducts lifesaving missions transporting blood to ailing citizens and troops in hospitals across war zones.

Study looks at using magnets to aid with stem cell therapy

August 12, 2019

Researchers in Japan are working on a novel way to make sure mesenchymal stem cells wind up in the right place when repairing cartilage.

Researchers at Hiroshima University showed that by equipping MSCs with a special iron type of iron oxide nanoparticles, they can be attracted to a specific location in the body with a magnetic field.

The report, “In Vitro Safety and Quality of Magnetically Labeled Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Preparation for Cartilage Repair,” was published in the journal Tissue Engineering.

“I have not heard of this before,” said Scott Jones, Vice President, Scientific Affairs at BioBridge Global. “We use magnetic particles for nucleic isolation, so it makes sense you could use it to move cells.”

The study used MSCs from bone marrow and the process was tested in eight patients.

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