This article was originally published in the April 2025 edition of Héma-Québec’s Magazine. All issues of the Magazine are available here.

Research excellence: A vital part of Héma-Québec’s mission

Héma-Québec’s scientific research teams play a key role in serving the people of Québec and in helping the organization make new breakthroughs and optimize its operations.

Through their many projects, our research teams boost productivity and help the organization better meet needs for blood and other biological products of human origin.

In past years, Héma-Québec’s science wing has played a role in the COVID-19 pandemic response, all the while pursuing multiple research initiatives that testify to our ability to innovate and find creative solutions to numerous public health challenges—as you’ll read in the following round-up.

Rising to the occasion, and learning to pivot

When our research teams were recently handed the case of a patient who needed a very rare type of blood platelets for a potential transfusion, they came through with flying colours—creating a custom solution in no time. In cases like these, we first look for a match in local and international donor registries. Since we could not find one for this patient, Héma-Québec’s lab teams sprang into action to develop a test to identify matching blood samples. This procedure is now in the process of being standardized for use in day-to-day operations and being made available internationally.

Nipping pathogens in the bud

All of the blood donations that Héma-Québec collects are tested for known pathogens that could cause serious problems during transfusions. As a key safety issue, there is obviously no room for compromise. Our research teams are always on the lookout for potential innovations, and are currently working on implementing a technology that would eliminate any pathogens present in blood components from the outset, whether those pathogens are known or not. The effectiveness of this technology has already been proven for plasma and platelets collected through apheresis, and it is now being adapted for red blood cells.

This is a new technique that leverages existing technologies and has the added benefit of destroying all pathogens in blood components, including pathogens that have yet to be discovered and are therefore undetectable through testing. This could also potentially boost productivity, as it would no longer be necessary to test donations.

Improving the compatibility of heart valves

Héma-Québec, now the sole human tissue distributor for Québec, is making excellent progress on a research project to remove cells in heart valves in order to increase the likelihood of a transplant’s success. By treating valves this way, we hope to successfully reduce the risk of rejection and increase the lifespan of transplants, as the recipient’s own cells will naturally repopulate the new valve, without doing any harm to their biomechanical functions.

Tackling the challenges of the cold chain

Héma-Québec’s teams handle and transport a wide range of products, and most of them need to be kept at precise temperatures, and the wild swings in temperature that Québec experiences can really wreak havoc! That’s why our research teams are continuing to hone their cutting-edge expertise by testing new materials and configurations to optimize shipping container performance. The cold chain presents some highly complex logistical issues, and innovative approaches developed in Québec are drawing growing interest internationally.

Promising research areas

In addition to the many other scientific research projects Héma-Québec has on the go, we are continuing to use genomics to sequence very rare blood types and explore stem cell matching. We are also working to gain better insight into Québec’s specificities, such as with a study on the effects of cannabis on the immune system and on red blood cells. Few countries have legalized cannabis, and research on the subject remains somewhat limited. Another ambitious study is looking into the effects of pasteurization on the nutrients in mother’s milk.

Our scientific research team is partnering with more and more researchers in Québec and abroad, in all kinds of fields. Héma-Québec is continuing to show why we are a leader in what we do!