Original article by Research Donors
Right Donor, Right Sample, Right Time: This is what our partner Research Donors from the UK stands for. The London-based company specialises in the distribution of fresh, highly characterised human blood products such as whole blood, plasma, serum, buffy coats and PBMCs. However, leukopaks obtained by leukapheresis are the front-runner in the Research Donors range.
With over 10 billion cells (from one donor), leukopaks contain a higher concentration of leukocytes than a standard blood sample or a buffy coat, making them ideal for cell therapy research (e.g. CAR-T), the field of toxicology and for high-throughput drug screening.
In this blog article, we provide important answers to many questions about Research Donors' Leukopaks: What actually is a Leukopak? Could Leukopaks be suitable for your research objectives? What customisation and selection options are available? What about ethical aspects? Read on to find out how Leukopaks can benefit your life science research project.
These topics await you:
2) Should I consider Switching to Leukopaks in my Life Science Research Project?
3) Why can I trust Research Donors’ Leukopaks?
4) I have specific Donor Profiles in Mind for my Work. Can Research Donors help me with this?
5) What happens if I need something not listed in the Research Donors Inventory?
6) We need to show we are ethically compliant. Can you help?
7) This all sounds perfect for my next Project - How can I order?
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What is a Leukopak?
Leukopaks are concentrated collections of white blood cells obtained through a process called leukapheresis. This collection method yields a large quantity of leukocytes, including lymphocytes, monocytes and other immune cells, making leukopaks an effective tool in medical research.
In leukapheresis, whole blood is passed through an apheresis collection system that separates the blood fractions in a continuous flow process based on density. The white blood cells are then selectively removed and the remaining blood volume is returned to the donor. The process takes several hours, during which the donor's entire blood volume can pass through the system 2-3 times. Fresh leukopaks are collected by trained nurses using the Spectra Optia® apheresis system. In addition, complete fresh leukopaks can be split into smaller fractions (half and quarter sizes) using a sterile splitter. Research Donors also offers frozen leukopaks, which are prepared with the defined cryopreservation medium CryoStor® CS10 and then frozen at a controlled rate using a freezer.
Whether fresh or frozen, the resulting leukopaks always contain at least 10 billion (regularly significantly more) mononuclear cells (MNC), a group of white blood cells with a single nucleus. Therefore, leukopaks offer a scalable and efficient way to obtain large quantities of specific cell types (T cells, B cells, NK cells and monocytes) for various experimental applications.
Should I consider Switching to Leukopaks in my Life Science Research Project?
Leukopaks are critical to the development of cell therapies as they serve as a rich source of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) such as T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. These cells are critical for the production of novel therapies, including CAR-T and TCR therapies used in the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
In the production of cell therapies, the quality and consistency of the leukopaks have a direct impact on the success of the therapy. They serve as the starting material for genetic modification, expansion and differentiation into therapeutic products. Standardised leukopaks from healthy donors enable reproducible and scalable production, a decisive step towards the commercialisation of cell-based therapies.
Leukopaks also offer researchers in other areas of drug discovery, such as immunogenicity testing, the advantage of a large number of cells from the same donor taken at the same time point, allowing for scalability and reproducibility not possible with other formats such as buffy coat.
Do you want to avoid donor-to-donor variability and the potential problems associated with it? Does your project involve repeated experiments over a long period of time or simply the need for a large number of cells? If so, then Leukopaks could be the best option for you. Many of our customers have recognised these benefits and now use Research Donors' Leukopaks as standard for drug screening and safety evaluation projects.
Why can I trust Research Donors’ Leukopaks?
Leukopaks are collected by experienced nurses who have been trained in leukapheresis by Terumo BCT, the manufacturer of the Spectra Optia® instruments used by Research Donors for apheresis collections.
Furthermore, apheresis donors are carefully selected from Research Donors' large pool of whole blood donors based on their suitability for apheresis collections and their proven long-term reliability. Research Donors has a large pool of donors who are serologically screened every month. Leukopaque production can therefore be organised at relatively short notice to fit in with your research plans.
The cell count that Research Donors uses for the Leukopaks is based on the total number of MNCs contained in the Leukopak and not the total nucleated cell (TNC) count used by some other Leukopak providers. The TNC contain neutrophils, which typically make up 20-60% of the TNC count and are not desired by most researchers. Therefore, Research Donors' leukopaks contain an extremely high number of MNC cell populations such as T cells, B cells, NK cells and monocytes.
The quality of the leukopaks is a top priority at Research Donors: Donations are therefore often processed within just four hours of collection in order to optimise the viability and function of the cells.
I have specific Donor Profiles in Mind for my Work. Can Research Donors help me with this?
Yes, donors at Research Donors are selected as whole blood donors for apheresis based on their proven reliability. All apheresis donors are HLA-typed and tested for previous CMV infections. Research Donors has a large and diverse donor pool, so you can choose from a wide range of donor characteristics for Leukopaks, including:
- HLA type and blood group
- Previous infection history with viruses (including CMV and EBV)
- Age (18-66), BMI, Ethnicity, Sex
- Lifestyle factors including diet, nicotine and caffeine usage
It is well known that donor variability is an important factor in the production of cell therapies. To help researchers in this and other areas, it can be extremely helpful to be able to selectively recall specific donors from whom a Leukopaque can be taken.
Research Donors has a significant stock of frozen Leukopaks (and smaller aliquots of them) that can be used as a tool to screen a group of donors to test their application-specific suitability. Research Donors is then able to recall many of these donors for fresh Leukopak collections at an appropriate time.
What happens if I need something not listed in the Research Donors Inventory?
With our partner Research Donors, you benefit from great flexibility so that you get exactly what you need as quickly as possible. If you need something that is not included in the Research Donors inventory, we will be happy to discuss customised options with you that are suitable for your research and your budget. Please do not hesitate to contact us!
We need to show we are ethically compliant. Can you help?
We have you covered. The Research Donors service has been reviewed and approved by an NHS HRA Ethics Committee in the UK. Research Donors is licensed to collect and store blood biospecimens by the Human Tissue Authority.
The clear consent form is approved by the HRA and covers genetic research, animal research and intellectual property, including commercial use for biomedical research applications.
This all sounds perfect for my next Project - How can I order?
Take a look at our corresponding product category for fresh or frozen Leukopaks or send us an e-mail to info@biomol.com to request a quote. If you have individual requests, please complete our Blood Products Enquiry Form and email it to us as well. We'd love to help you make your next project a success!
If you have any questions about Leukopaks or other Research Donors services, you can get in touch with us using our contact form.
Find the Leukopaks from Research Donors exclusively with us now!
Written by Matt Kettle, Commercial Director - Research Donors
