Plasma vs. Blood
Plasma-derived medicinal therapies provide life-saving treatments for a range of mostly rare diseases including hemophilia and immunodeficiencies and serious medical conditions such as shock.
It is important to understand that plasma therapies are intrinsically different from blood components such as red cells, thrombocytes, and so on, obtained from a whole blood donation. These differences center on the way plasma is collected, as well as in the production process of plasma protein therapies. In contrast to whole blood and blood components, plasma-derived medicinal therapies are not directly used for transfusion, but rather undergo an elaborate and well controlled manufacturing process. The following facts highlight some of the principle differences between the two.
What Is Plasma?
- It is a clear, straw colored liquid that is 90 percent water.
- Plasma is a transporting medium for cells and a variety of substances vital to the human body. Importantly, plasma contains proteins for blood clotting and defending the body against infection.
- Source plasma is collected in specialized donation centers located across the U.S. and Europe.
- Recovered plasma is collected through whole blood donation, which has been separated into its cellular components ( red blood cells and platelets) to be used for different medical and therapeutic purposes.
What is Whole Blood?
Whole blood is pumped by the heart and travels through miles of blood vessels to every part of the body. It is a highly specialized liquid that circulates throughout the body and has these primary functions. It contains:
- Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to cells.
- White blood cells help prevent disease and strengthen immunity.
- Blood platelets allow blood to clot and stop the body from bleeding when cut or during surgery.
- Plasma makes up the liquid portion of the blood in which the other cells are suspended. It is roughly 55 percent of a human's total blood volume.
Plasma is Global; Blood is Local
Plasma protein therapies are manufactured medicinal products with a defined shelf-life that are distributed world-wide. Blood and blood components are labile (constantly changing or unstable) products with a short life-span of a few days and are almost exclusively used locally.