Induction of and Maintenance of Nucleic Acid Damage in Pathogens Using Riboflavin and Light
AssigneeCaridianBCT Biotechnologies, LLC
InventorsRobert Owen LOCKERBIE, Vijay KUMAR, Shawn D. KEIL, Raymond P. GOODRICH
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for damaging and maintaining damage to the nucleic acids of pathogens such as white blood cells, bacteria and viruses which may be contained in blood or blood components. This process comprises adding to the blood or blood component containing pathogens an effective amount of riboflavin, and exposing the fluid to light of an appropriate wavelength to damage the nucleic acid of the pathogen and to substantially maintain the damage to the pathogenic nucleic acids to allow for subsequent transfusion into a recipient.
Claims5
A process for preventing self-repair of nucleic acid of pathogenic white blood cells, bacteria and/or viruses which may be contained in blood components comprising the steps of:
- adding to the blood components riboflavin acting as a photosensitizer at a final concentration of between about 50-500 μM;
- irradiating the blood components and riboflavin acting as a photosensitizer with light in a visible or UV range at an appropriate wavelength to activate the riboflavin acting as a photosensitizer to fragment the nucleic acid of the pathogenic white blood cells, bacteria and/or viruses to cause permanent damage to the nucleic acid;
- preventing self-repair of the nucleic acid;
- and
- wherein the permanent damage to the nucleic acid caused by the photosensitizer and light is maintained over time such that the pathogenic white blood cells, bacteria and/or viruses will not reproduce in the blood components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.