New research publications: June 2025

Each month, our R.E.D. blog showcases the activities of our research and education network and the innovation and collaboration that drives our scientific community forward. Included in these activities are the peer-reviewed publications in academic journals that are a main avenue for researchers to share their scientific findings. With a focus on methodology and a rigorous review process prior to publication, these publications are recognized as credible and reliable sources of scientific information.

This blog – the first in a reoccurring monthly recap – provides an overview of the latest research publications that have been authored by Canadian Blood Services staff scientists in discovery, development and donation policy & studies; adjunct scientists; medical experts and trainees; and/or resulting from supported projects or partnerships.  

Visit blood.ca to learn more about Our Research Team and to search our full publication database (updated annually).

By the numbers

For the month of June, we are reporting a total of 14 peer-reviewed research articles indicated by research focus area:

Discovery (2): Topics included investigations into therapies aimed at regulating blood clotting and at comparing the impact of different blood products on heart perfusion (blood flow) in animal models. 

Donation policy & studies (6): These works advance equity and safety in donor and public health research, focusing on screening and surveillance, as well as donor characteristics and recruitment. 

Adjunct scientists (2): Topics include results of a survey on organ transplantation practices in Canada, and uncovering how red blood cells are cleared in mouse models 

Other Canadian Blood Services affiliations (4): These works span critical care, transfusion medicine, and genomics, addressing key issues in organ donation, screening, transfusion complications, and blood antigen diversity to improve patient care and transfusion safety. 

Where we published

Our research appeared in 11 journals, including Blood, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis and Canadian Medical Association Journal.  

Spotlight on select publications 

• Platelet component safety in the era of new advancements in bacterial screening and pathogen reduction: A congress report of the 2024 ISBT Transfusion-Transmitted Infectious Diseases Working Party, Bacteria Subgroup. 
  
  “This review paper summarizes approaches to enhancing platelet component safety presented by members of the International Society of Blood Transfusion's (ISBT) Transfusion-Transmitted Infectious Diseases Working Party Bacterial Subgroup and other invited international speakers at the June 2024 ISBT Congress. The paper summarizes key findings, concluding that platelet screening and treatment with pathogen-reduction technologies have significantly increased product safety, though residual risks still exist.” -Dr. Sandra Ramirez-Arcos, Canadian Blood Services development scientist. 

• Recruiting racialised youth to a stem cell registry in Canada. 
  
  “There is limited research on what motivates diverse youth to join stem cell registries. In this study, we partnered with youth from racialized communities to host stem cell registry events and conducted focus groups to explore their views. Analysis of five focus groups revealed that awareness of the need for diversity in registries and a desire to address healthcare inequities were key motivators. These insights can inform future outreach strategies and research.” - Dr. Kelly Holloway, Canadian Blood Services scientist. 

Explore more

• Learn more about the BEST Collaborative  
• Learn more about ISBT Transfusion-Transmitted Infectious Diseases Working Party, Bacteria Subgroup. 
• FAQ about Stem Cell Donation 

Our June publications list

• Sociodemographic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance studies with diverse recruitment strategies, Canada, 2020 to 2023. 
  Knight MJ, Yu Y, Chen J, O'Brien SF, Buckeridge DL, Charlton C, Russell WA. BMC Public Health. 2025 Jun 3;25(1):2057. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22975-y. PMID: 40462073  
• Blood donor characteristics and blood safety before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A BEST Collaborative international survey. 
  Lewin A, Goldman M, O'Brien SF, Irving DO, Vassallo R, Tiberghien P, Goto N, Waters A, van de Laar T, Jacquot C, Fachini R, Germain M; Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative. Vox Sang. 2025 Jun 4. doi: 10.1111/vox.70055. PMID: 40467295 
• Plasma-supplemented red cell concentrates as alternatives to whole blood in porcine ex vivo heart perfusion. 
  Durand K, Phan C, Hatami S, Wagner M, Lautner L, Brandon-Coatham M, Olafson C, Freed DH, Acker JP. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2025 Jun 7:S1053-2498(25)02029-7. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2025.06.002. PMID: 40490145  
• Platelet component safety in the era of new advancements in bacterial screening and pathogen reduction: A congress report of the 2024 ISBT Transfusion-Transmitted Infectious Diseases Working Party, Bacteria Subgroup. 
  García-Otálora MA, McDonald C, Bearne J, Brown B, Cheng A, Humbrecht C, Tiberghien P, Ramirez-Arcos S; ISBT Transfusion‐Transmitted Infectious Diseases Working Party Subgroup on Bacteria. Vox Sang. 2025 Jun 8. doi: 10.1111/vox.70053. PMID: 40484805 
• Apolipoprotein A-IV regulates coagulation and ischemic stroke by potentiating activated protein C. 
  Yan M, Wang Y, Niu L, Wang S, Yu H, Yin Q, Zhang D, Bai Y, Yin Y, Lin S, Liu C, Zhang M, Tang X, Ni H, Xue M, Li C. J Thromb Haemost. 2025 Jun 9:S1538-7836(25)00357-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jtha.2025.05.033. PMID: 40499720 
• Array Genotyping of Transfusion Relevant Blood Cell Antigens in 6946 Ancestrally Diverse Subjects. 
  Gleadall NS, Koets L, Shamardina O, Gollub J, Gottschalk AJ, Razeghi O, Ochoa G, Stephens J, Varma R, Martin J, Allara E, Brown CJ, Daly J, Di Angelantonio E, Grimsley S, Howell WM, Hyvärinen K, Jentsch U, Kingston N, Montemayor C, Moya-Valera C, Ord J, Partanen J, Roberts DJ, Stirrups KE, Vege S, Walker L, Harmer A, Kaushikkar S, Ouwehand WH, van der Schoot CE, Westhoff CM, Veldhuisen B, Lane WJ. Blood. 2025 Jun 11:blood.2025028902. doi: 10.1182/blood.2025028902. PMID: 40499009 
• Post-transfusion purpura in a 36-year-old woman. 
  Hirunwidchayarat P, Raslan IA, Khandelwal A, Lee WL. CMAJ. 2025 Jun 15;197(23):E640-E644. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.250206.PMID: 40523684 
• Recruiting racialised youth to a stem cell registry in Canada. 
  Holloway K, Muwhen U, Fingrut WB, Haw J. Transfus Med. 2025 Jun 16. doi: 10.1111/tme.13155. PMID: 40523652 
• Compliance with gender-neutral sexual behavior-based blood donor screening questions. 
  O'Brien SF, Osmond L, Goldman M. Transfusion. 2025 Jun 16. doi: 10.1111/trf.18302. PMID: 40524388 
• Post-Liver Transplantation Hepatitis B Prophylaxis in Canada: Results of a National Survey. 
  Zhu K, Yoshida EM, Chahal D, Cox B, Shih AW, Marquez V, Hussaini T. Transplant Proc. 2025 Jun 20:S0041-1345(25)00306-9. doi: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2025.05.016. PMID: 40544020  
• Red blood cells with reduced deformability are selectively cleared from circulation in a mouse model. 
  Islamzada E, Matthews K, Lamoureux ES, Duffy SP, Scott MD, Ma H. Blood Adv. 2025 Jun 24;9(12):2988-2996. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2024014100.PMID: 40198767  
• Organ donation after death determination by circulatory criteria: family members' experiences with withdrawal of life-sustaining measures in Canadian intensive care units. 
  Sarti AJ, Sutherland S, Meade M, Weiss MJ, Dhanani S, Lotherington KM, Landriault A, Vanderspank-Wright B, Valiani S, Keenan S, Kramer AH, Beed S, Brennan J, Cardinal P, Chassé M, Nickerson P, Shemie SD; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG). Can J Anaesth. 2025 Jun 26. doi: 10.1007/s12630-025-02978-4. PMID: 40571891 English. 
• Rising transfusion rates amidst stable blood supply: A Canadian perspective on emerging challenges for blood operators. 
  Duong A, Raza S, Waito M, Petraszko T, Alam AQ. Transfusion. 2025 Jun 27. doi: 10.1111/trf.18325. PMID: 40579776  
• West Nile Virus positivity amongst Canadian blood donors and effectiveness of off-season screening. 
  Charlton CL, Drews SJ, Makowski K, Hawes G, Cranney C, Robinson A, Wood H, Bigham M, O'Brien SF. Transfusion. 2025 Jun 28. doi: 10.1111/trf.18326. PMID: 40579884 

We are proud of the remarkable work being done across Canadian Blood Services’ network. Stay tuned for more blog posts as we continue to advance scientific discovery and innovation for the Canadian blood system. 

Canadian Blood Services – Driving world-class innovation 

Through discovery, development and applied research, Canadian Blood Services drives world-class innovation in blood transfusion, cellular therapy and transplantation—bringing clarity and insight to an increasingly complex healthcare future. Our dedicated research team and extended network of partners engage in exploratory and applied research to create new knowledge, inform and enhance best practices, contribute to the development of new services and technologies, and build capacity through training and collaboration. Find out more about our research impact.  

The opinions reflected in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Canadian Blood Services nor do they reflect the views of Health Canada or any other funding agency.