COVER STORY
Blood plasma: Raw material with healing power
COVER STORY
Blood plasma: Raw material with healing power
By the Editorial Team
Can we heal Covid-19 patients by treating them with antibodies from the blood plasma of people who have already recovered? There is no conclusive answer to this question yet. For many other diseases, however, plasma components constitute proven and indispensable therapeutic means. Gases for Life are required in order to process them.
When someone survives an infectious disease, their blood plasma contains antibodies against the pathogen. Once isolated from the plasma, they can, in some acute cases, help other patients overcome the same disease. Numerous studies are underway to determine whether this also works with Covid-19. Other components of plasma have already been mainstays of the medical repertory for many years now, including for autoimmune diseases, hemophilia, bleeding disorders, or in the intensive care unit. The straw-yellow liquid makes up a little more than half of human blood. It remains behind when the red and white corpuscles and the platelets are removed. Blood plasma comprises mainly water with seven percent vital proteins such as albumin, fibrinogen and immunoglobulins and one percent other substances. The plasma proteins are crucial for many bodily functions. Albumin helps maintain fluid balance in the blood, while fibrinogen enables the coagulation process. Immunoglobulins – the scientific name for antibodies – trigger the vital reactions of the immune system. Severe blood loss, due to accidental injury for example, and certain diseases can result in a lack of plasma proteins. In such cases, plasma-derived medical products (PDMPs) are used to compensate for this deficiency. Specialized companies manufacture these products on an industrial scale. The plasma that serves as the raw material comes from blood plasma donors. The donation process is similar to blood donation, except that the blood corpuscles and platelets are separated and reinjected into the donor. PMDP products fall into three categories according to the different types of plasma proteins: Immunoglobulin, albumin and fibrinogen.
Nitrogen for freeze-drying and inertization Various processes used to manufacture plasma-derived medical products require nitrogen and carbon dioxide. By means of freeze-drying, also known as lyophilization, dried plasma is generated: at first liquid nitrogen is used to deep freeze the plasma at -196 degrees Celsius. Then vacuum evaporation is used to extract water. In the vacuum, the water transitions directly from the solid to the gaseous state, even at low temperatures. That’s why this drying method is particularly well-suited for temperature-sensitive materials such as blood components. It preserves the proteins, retaining their biochemical properties, their stability and molecular structures. Another benefit of using liquid nitrogen in the cooling circuit is that it is much more efficient than conventional coolants. It is eco-friendly and improves process performance. Like many other products, plasma is sensitive to oxygen. Oxidation adversely affects key components and renders them unusable. Gaseous nitrogen is used to create an inert atmosphere in various process steps, thereby preventing undesirable chemical reactions. The gas displaces atmospheric oxygen, for example, from the head space of gas cylinders in which dried plasma is stored.
The wastewater of the cleaning of the plant can be neutralized safely and economically with environmentally friendly Neutrabox-Process. Under this method carbon dioxide is applied.
Carbon dioxide for wastewater treatment Wastewater from cleaning the production units can be treated with Messer’s Neutrabox process. This environmentally friendly technology uses carbon dioxide to neutralize alkaline wastewater safely and economically. The gas is injected directly into the wastewater to lower the pH. Storage and handling dangerous acids otherwise used for that purpose are no longer required. The CO₂ also prevents acidification and higher water salinity. The gas itself is a “waste product” recovered from various chemical industry processes (production of ammonia, fertilizer, ethanol).
Blood plasma: Vital diversity Blood plasma makes up about 55 percent of human blood. It comprises 92 percent water with seven percent vital proteins such as albumin, fibrinogen and immunoglobulins and one percent other substances such as mineral salts, sugars, fats, hormones and vitamins. Plasma is also responsible for transporting metabolites in the blood to the “cleaning” organs such as the liver and kidneys. Plasma components perform vital functions:
- The immunoglobulins (antibodies) intercept intruder viruses and bacteria and render them harmless. Albumin helps transport water-insoluble substances and prevents water from seeping into intercellular spaces. Fibrinogen plays a key role in coagulation.
- Ions from minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and chlorine regulate the electrolyte balance, among other things.
- Nutrients (sugars, fats) supply the somatic cells with energy.
- Hormones serve as signaling substances to control important bodily functions.