Method of inactivation of viral and bacterial blood contaminants

A process for reducing the concentration of viable viral, bacterial or parasitic contaminants in a composition comprising blood, a blood component, a cell culture, or a component of a cell culture, comprising the steps of:

• (i) mixing said composition in a liquid state with a chemical radiation sensitizer which binds said viral, bacterial or parasitic contaminants wherein said chemical sensitizer inactivates said contaminants upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation and wherein said chemical sensitizer is selected from the group consisting of halo or metal derivatives of fatty acid based molecules;
• halo or metal derivatives of fluorescein, merocyanine 540, porphyrin, benzoporphyrin, phthalocyanine, netropsin, DNA binding proteins or peptides;
• doxorubicin;
• daunomycin;
• and a compound having the formula:
• wherein u is an integer from 1 to 6;
• X is an anionic counterion;
• R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are independently halo;
• H;
• linear or branched alkyl of 1-10 carbon atoms;
• linear or branched alkoxy of 1-10 carbon atoms;
• (CH2)mO(CH2)pZ⊕R′R″R′″ or —O(CH2)nZ⊕R′R″R′″ wherein n,m, and p are independently integers from 1 to 10 and R′,R″ and R′″ are independently H or linear or branched alkyl of 1 to 10 carbon atoms with the proviso that on each Z atom, not more than one of R′, R″ or R′″ may be H;
• and at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, or R6 is (CH2)mO(CH2)pZ⊕R′R″R′″ or —O(CH2)nZ⊕R′R″R′″;
• Z is N or P;
• (ii) freezing or freeze-drying said composition and sensitizer mixture;
• and
• (iii) exposing said frozen or freeze-dried composition and sensitizer mixture to electromagnetic radiation selected from the group consisting of visible, UV, x-ray, and gamma radiation of sufficient wavelength and intensity for a period of time sufficient to activate said sensitizer whereby the activation of said sensitizer reduces said contamination in said composition.