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PLASTIC RECONSTRUCTIVE AND REGENERATIVE SURGERY

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Characterization of growth factors in platelet-poor plasma for eye drop applications from umbilical cord blood and from allogeneic adult donor serum

Authors

Larysa Mykhailova , Dinara Samarkanova , Jesus Fernandez-Sojo , Stefania Villa , Manuela Brasca , Paolo Rebulla , Daniele Prati , Tiziana Montemurro

Key words: dry eye disease, cord blood, platelet-poor plasma, growth factors
DOI: 10.2450/BloodTransfus.1330
Therapies based on substances of human origin (SoHO)
Publication Date: 2026-07-15

Abstract

Background - Serum eye drops obtained after the coagulation of platelet-rich, adult donor blood (AB-S) are currently used to promote corneal healing in dry eye disease (DED). Recently, unique immunomodulatory factors that could prove clinically useful in DED have been identified in platelet-poor plasma from cord blood (CB-PPP). In this descriptive, non-comparative pre-clinical study, we determined the growth factor (GF) content in CB-PPP and AB-S to expand the current knowledge on the clinical potential of blood derived eye drops.

Materials and methods - CB-PPP (No.=20) was prepared from anticoagulated CB by differential centrifugation using commercial BioNest ABC kits. AB-S (No.=6) was prepared from clotted 450 mL blood collections using commercial transfer bags. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet derived growth factor isoforms (PDGF-AA, -AB, -BB) were quantified by Luminex technology.

Results - Median EGF, VEGF and PDGF-AA, -AB and -BB (pg/mL) were lower in CB-PPP than in AB-S: 5.45 vs 224.0; 35.83 vs 401.26; 362.05 vs 2480.44; 197.06 vs 624.14; 1097.11 vs 2836.29, respectively. Conversely, median bFGF was about 9-fold higher in CB-PPP than in AB-S: 10.07 vs 1.13. High variability was observed between individual samples.

Discussion - This study expands current knowledge on blood-derived products for ophthalmic applications. The observed high inter-sample GF variability requires the development of standard procedures of unit pooling in view of clinical applications.

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Authors

Larysa Mykhailova - Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3009-520X

Dinara Samarkanova - Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron Barcelona, Spain; Cord Blood Bank Programa Concordia Banc de Sang i Teixits, Barcelona, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5196-2507

Jesus Fernandez-Sojo - Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron Barcelona, Spain; Cord Blood Bank Programa Concordia Banc de Sang i Teixits, Barcelona, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4016-0020

Stefania Villa - Department of Transfusion Medicine,Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy

Manuela Brasca - Milano Cord Blood Bank, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milan, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9192-8028

Paolo Rebulla - Department of Transfusion Medicine,Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3875-5754

Daniele Prati - Department of Transfusion Medicine,Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2281-7498

Tiziana Montemurro - Department of Transfusion Medicine,Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1880-5347

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