Photodynamic inactivation of viruses in blood cell-containing compositions

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is an object of the present invention to inactivate viruses in cell-containing compositions without incurring substantial disruption or inactivation of cells.
It is another object of the present invention to inactivate viruses in whole blood, red blood cell concentrates and platelet concentrates, without adversely affecting red cell or platelet structure or function.
It is a further object of this invention to improve virus safety in blood banks of both whole blood, red blood cell concentrates and platelet concentrates, and any products derived from whole blood, red blood cell concentrates or platelet concentrates.
It is still a further object of the invention to reduce exposure to hospital care workers and other health care workers to viruses to which they otherwise would be exposed.
It is still a further object of the invention to reduce the circulating viral burden in animals and man.
It is still a further object of the invention to improve the storage properties of cell-containing compositions, e.
g.
, red cell concentrate, prior to use.
The above objects, as well as other objects, aims and advantages are satisfied by the present invention.
The present invention concerns a method of inactivating excellular lipid enveloped human pathogenic viruses or intracellular human pathogenic viruses in a cell-containing composition without incurring substantial disruption or inactivation of cells, comprising contacting a cell-containing composition having .
gtoreq.
1.
times.
10.
sup.
9 cells/ml and containing infectious virus with a virucidally effective amount of at least one photoreactive compound having an absorption maximum of .
gtoreq.
630 nm, light and an oxidizer to substantially inactivate the virus and to result in a retention of intact cell functionality and structure of greater than 80%.
More particularly, the present invention concerns a method for inactivating extracellular lipid enveloped viruses, as well as intracellular viruses, in whole blood, red blood cell concentrates, platelet concentrates or products derived from whole blood or red blood cell concentrates or platelet concentrates comprising contacting said whole blood, red blood cell concentrates or products derived from whole blood or red blood cell concentrates with an effective virucidal amount of a photoreactive compound having an absorption maximum greater than 630 nm, for example, a purpurin or a phthalocyanine, and exposing the resultant composition to light in the presence of an oxidizer