Human immunoglobulins source material

Simple systems (with a single defined additive) were produced with each of the following materials. Calf thymus DNA, polymerized, was obtained from Sigma. Protein sources were prepared in-house and subsequently dialyzed into low salt solutions. Human serum albumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG) were plasma-derived. Human immunoglobulin M (IgM) was produced by tissue culture fermentation and purified. A defined complex system consisted of both albumin and IgM together. An undefined complex system was set up with an intermediate material of Cohn plasma fractionation containing alpha-1 antitrypsin (alpha-1), albumin, and other contaminants. 

Human blood, given by blood donors, is a source not only of cellular material (red cells, white cells, platelets) but also of blood plasma, which is subjected to protein fractionation to give albumin, anti-hemophilia factors and immunoglobulins. The possibility of transmission of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD) - prions are not really understood - and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), if sterilization procedures fail, combined with the feasibility of manufacturing proteins by recombinant DNA technology, mean that there is uncertainty about the long-term future of the blood products industry. Indeed, the problems with bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) and the related fatal human brain disorder, CJD, have led to unease about cattle-derived substances. 

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