Transfusion Centre and Tissue Bank (CTBT), Barcelona

The Immunohematology laboratory of the Centre de Transfusió i Banc de Teixits (CTBT) in Barcelona has a long-standing experience in the study of blood group antigens on red cells, neutrophils and platelets. This laboratory has also a wide experience in the investigation of antibodies against blood red antigens, with special interest in alloantibodies involved in haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAITP). For more than 12 years, this Immunohematology Reference Laboratory has provided diagnostic testing to Hospitals in Catalonia, covering antigen typing (including HLA), antibody identification, assessment of biological activity of antibodies and blood group genotyping. Together with Dr. Eduardo Muñiz-Diaz (Hospital Sant Pau), who has also many years of experience in Immunohematology studies, the group has undertaken several research projects regarding the characterization of blood group variants, the development of typing systems and the expression of red cell antigens in transfected cells.

The role of this research group in the Bloodgen project is to provide the consortium with our expertise in the Kell and Duffy blood group systems. We will be involved in the evaluation, improvement and optimization of the blood group biochip, in the standardization of nucleic acid extraction and multiplex PCR techniques. As end-user partners, we will participate in both the preliminary clinical trial and in the full multi-centre performance evaluation.

The following staff are involved in the Bloodgen project in Barcelona:

Dr. Anna Ribera has been the Head of the Immunohematology Department of the CTBT since 1990 and the principal investigator of the several research lines ongoing in this department. She is a member of different Scientific Committees and International Workshops and is also a member of the SCARF (Serum, cells and rare fluids) exchange group.

Dr. Eduardo Muñiz-Diaz is the Head of the Blood Transfusion and Immunohematology Section of the Sant Pau’s Hospital Blood Bank (subcontractor). He is also the co-ordinator of the Hemovigilance group of the Spanish Health Ministry and member of the International Workshop on platelet and granulocyte immunology. He is involved in different research lines based on the molecular characterisation of erythrocyte, platelet and granulocyte blood groups.

Dr. Nuria Nogués is a senior scientist responsible for the molecular biology studies in the Immunohematology Laboratory of the CTBT. She is involved in several research projects regarding the expression of red cell antigens in transfected cells and the molecular characterisation of novel allelic variants of the RH and other blood group systems.

Dr. Emma Camacho is a molecular biologist who has been participating in the Bloodgen project since January 2004, when she joined the CTBT. She has been previously involved in research projects related to gene mutation detection.