Research From AABB Foundation Alumni Explores Biomarker of RBC and Human Aging

A research team led by the D’Alessandro Lab at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has identified a biomarker of red blood cell and human aging that may help tailor better blood storage and transfusion strategies. The team published its findings in Aging Cell last week. 

In the study, first author Julie Reisz Haines, PhD, and her colleagues – including several AABB Foundation alumni – examined 15,700 blood specimens from 13,757 individuals to explore age-dependent changes in RBC metabolism. Specifically, the team focused on the arginine pathway – a critical metabolic process for blood flow regulation.

The research team found that as individuals age, RBC arginine levels decrease while byproducts (such as citrulline) increase, creating a molecular signature of aging. Notably, higher citrulline levels in stored blood were linked to better transfusion outcomes, suggesting that RBC metabolism could serve as a predictor of transfusion quality.

Using multiomics data, the research team also linked metabolism of arginine during RBC storage to increased vesiculation – a hallmark of RBC aging – and lower post-transfusion hemoglobin levels. These findings suggest metabolic markers could be pivotal in enhancing blood storage and transfusion quality.

This research team involved a group of experts that includes many previous recipients of AABB Foundation early-career scientific research grants: Michael P. Busch, MD, PhD (1992); Eldad Hod, MD (2011); Steven L. Spitalnik, MD (2003); James C. Zimring, MD, PhD (2004); and Angelo D’Alessandro, PhD (2016), the corresponding author. 

The AABB Foundation is current accepting applications for the Early-Career Scientific Research Grants Program’s 2025 cycle. An AABB Foundation grant is a milestone for many investigators beginning their careers in transfusion medicine and biotherapies, often validating their research scope as their career trajectory is just taking shape.

Applications will be accepted through Dec. 1. Foundation grant recipients each receive an award of up to $100,000 to further investigator-initiated, original research in blood banking, transfusion medicine or biotherapies. For more information about the AABB Foundation grant eligibility criteria and application process, visit the Early-Career Scientific Research Grants Program web page.