Pathogen reduction to prevent infections from blood transfusions
Official title: Transfusion transmitted infections and pathogen reduction technology.
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11623202 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Johns Hopkins-led project will study how often infections pass from donated blood to patients and whether a pathogen-reduction technology can prevent these transmissions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $129,300 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL180828-01A1S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11623202 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who receive blood transfusions or donate blood, especially in areas with high rates of emerging infections.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving transfusions or those from settings with low infection risk may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will look at blood donations and transfusions to identify emerging infections that could be transmitted through blood. It will use advanced sequencing to find viruses, bacteria, and parasites in donors and recipients and examine risk factors. It will test how well pathogen reduction technology can stop transmission of these pathogens and quantify the potential clinical impact for people needing transfusions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce infection risk for blood transfusion recipients and improve donor screening strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests metagenomic approaches can identify transfusion-related pathogens, but data on Africa and pathogen-reduction efficacy are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tobian, Aaron a — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Tobian, Aaron a
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.