Research Update / Le point sur la recherche Something fishy in antifreeze for platelets CMAJ 1997;156:629 © 1997 Canadian Medical Association The barriers to storage of human blood platelets may be overcome with the help of antifreeze proteins from Canadian cod, if trials involving researchers in Newfoundland, Ontario and California bear fruit. The researchers are studying the possibility that platelets can be kept cold for days or weeks before being reactivated for use in patients. Experiments in the United States have shown that the antifreeze proteins (AFPs) used by fish to retard freezing or lessen its damage can also protect human cells in hypothermic and cryogenic conditions. The structure of an AFP was recently published by researchers at Queen's University, Kingston, Ont. (Nature 1996;384:285-8). The authors showed that the unique structure of these globular proteins allows them to bind to ice crystals. "The thing that is most promising in the medical field has turned out to be use in platelets," explains Dr. Garth Fletcher, founder of A/F Protein Canada Inc., located in Newfoundland, which purifies AFPs from cod purchased from a local aquaculture company and supplies the proteins to researchers. The patent for the medical use of AFPs is held by A/F Protein's parent company in Boston, where the initial experiments were conducted. Fletcher's firm is working with researchers at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont., and the University of California, Davis. The next step is testing in animals of platelets cold-stored with the use of AFPs to ensure that the function and ability of the platelets is maintained. In-vivo testing and clinical trials are expected to require 4 to 6 years. -- C.J. Brown Send a letter to the editor responding to this article Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction au sujet de cet article | CMAJ March 1, 1997 (vol 156, no 5) / JAMC le 1er mars 1997 (vol 156, no 5) | / >