Human blood products are a cornerstone of in vitro research with a wide range of applications including disease modeling, cancer research, infectious disease research, studies into natural immune responses, developing medical blood devices, and much more. Some of the most common human blood products used in these applications include whole blood, plasma, serum, and complement serum. Depending on the product, these samples typically come from either a single donor or pooled donors and may be available in a variety of anticoagulants. This blog will look at some of the most widely used human blood products in various in vitro research applications and what makes these samples so important.
A Look at Human Whole Blood
First things first, you can’t talk about human blood products without talking about the source of these samples – human whole blood. Whole blood samples play a vital role in research applications from a wide range of specializations. Some of the most common applications include studying immune responses, disease mechanisms, assessing drug safety, and creating models for cardiovascular research. Whole blood samples can provide important insights into the overall health of a donor patient and allow researchers to investigate their natural physiological processes without invasive procedures. Samples may also come in a variety of anticoagulants, keeping the sample stable and allowing for customization according to the needs of the study. Common anticoagulants include K2 EDTA, K3 EDTA, Na Citrate, Na Heparin, and Li Heparin, among others. Whole blood isn’t the only important type of sample to research; plasma is another type of sample vital for a wide range of research applications.
Human Plasma and Serum
Plasma is another cornerstone of in vitro research with a plethora of applications. Plasma can be collected via apheresis, where a machine separates the plasma from blood and returns the blood to the donor’s body, or it can be processed from a sample of whole blood from a donor. Like whole blood, plasma samples are treated with an anticoagulant to prevent clotting and keep the sample stable and ready for use. Once collected, plasma samples are useful in a variety of research applications, including but not limited to studying immune responses, research into blood clotting and bleeding disorders, drug testing, biomarker analysis, gene therapies, and more. Like whole blood samples, plasma contains high concentrations of proteins, antibodies, hormones, electrolytes, and other biomarkers that allow for deep insights into the health and physiological functions of the donor without invasive procedures. Some of these components include albumin, globulins, fibrinogen, and other proteins. Besides plasma, serum is also an important blood product used in a range of research applications.
Serum is another blood product that plays a major role in research. Serum is a clear liquid extracted from clotted blood and plays a crucial role in performing diagnostic assays, biomarker research, immune and metabolic studies, cell culture applications, and developing therapeutic treatments. Because serum is free of blood cells and clotting factors, serum can offer a clearer look into proteins, antibodies, hormones, and other blood components. Some of the components commonly found in serum include albumin, fats, hormones, electrolytes, globulins, antibodies, and the like. Serum is obtained from a whole blood sample which is not treated with an anticoagulant and is allowed to clot. Once the clot has fully formed, the sample is centrifuged so that the solid clot separates from the liquid (serum). Finally, once the sample is done centrifuging, the liquid serum is carefully pipetted off for use or storage.
Like serum, human complement serum is also obtained from whole blood samples and is a cornerstone of in vitro research. Complement serum is serum that still contains the immune proteins C1-C9 that “complement” antibodies as the body naturally fights off pathogens. Complement serum samples are often used in lab tests, in research on immune responses, disease biomarker studies, and used in the development of diagnostic devices. When obtaining complement serum from whole blood samples, researchers must process and freeze the samples quickly to avoid premature activation and degradation of the complement factors.
What is a Matched Set?
Although these various sample types are extremely useful on their own, for some applications having a matched set of samples can prove to be beneficial. A matched set is a set of multiple types of blood products all coming from the same donor. Having single-donor sourced biologicals in a matched set eliminates differences found in the samples resulting from different donors; each sample will have the same composition and concentration of proteins, antibodies, biomarkers, and other important blood components that can greatly impact a study.
Conclusion
In conclusion, human blood products are common biological samples for in vitro research applications that are useful in a wide range of studies and research applications. If you’re looking for human blood products or matched sets for your research, Innovative Research has a wide selection of whole blood, plasma, serum, complement serum, and other human blood products to choose from, with the ability to customize lots to fit your study. Innovative Research is ready to support you when you’re ready to make your next big breakthrough.
