New survey: Most Americans believe plasma donation saves lives, yet few have donated

International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW) takes place globally from October 6-10.

The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association

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During IPAW and beyond, PPTA encourages all healthy adults over the age of 18 to consider giving the gift of life through plasma donation.

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Credit: Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association

October 6 – Washington, D.C. – International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW) takes place globally from October 6-10. The week encourages communities around the world to recognize the vital role of plasma in creating lifesaving medicines and honors those who donate. A new survey has found that 72% of respondents agree that plasma-derived medicines can save lives, yet most have not donated plasma.

The survey asked over 1,000 American adults questions about their understanding of plasma donation and lifesaving plasma-derived medicines. Plasma, a component of blood, is essential in producing treatments for a variety of serious health conditions, including immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders, severe burns, and more. It is also used in everyday health care settings, such as during surgeries, childbirth, and organ transplants. 

The need for plasma-derived medicines continues to rise as science reveals new uses and indications, as advances in standards of care expand their role in treatment. With hundreds of thousands of patients around the world depending on these unique therapies – and because plasma cannot be recreated in a lab – the importance of plasma donation is vital. The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) commissioned the poll to better understand Americans’ perception of the growing need for plasma-derived medicines.

Notable survey findings include:

• Eight in ten survey respondents have never donated plasma.

• About half (49%) of Americans who have never donated plasma feel they do not know enough about the donation process.

• The survey also revealed a perceived disparity between blood and plasma donation, with 65% of respondents believing there is a greater need for donated blood than plasma, and 60% feeling that blood donation benefits more people.

“As the survey results show, there is increasing public awareness of the essential role plasma donation plays in saving lives,” stated Anita Brikman, President and CEO of the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association. “However, understanding must continue to advance in order to meet growing patient needs. During IPAW, it's important to recognize plasma donors as everyday heroes because, as the survey shows, Americans know that plasma donation saves lives.”

“As a patient who relies on the generosity of plasma donors, I feel optimistic about the survey results,” said Lillie Hunnicut, a Seattle-based plasma advocate and common variable immune deficiency patient who shares her journey on social media as @chronically.lils. “Donating plasma helps create medicines that help me and many others thrive! Thanks to my plasma-derived therapy, I can now run, hike, climb, and be active and present in my daily life in a way that I wasn’t for several years before my diagnosis and treatment. I am so grateful to the many donors who have given me not just my life back – but have strengthened my sense of hope in humanity.”

“An estimated half a million Americans have been diagnosed with a primary immunodeficiency (PI), though the actual number is likely much higher due to widespread underdiagnosis,” said Jorey Berry, President and CEO of the Immune Deficiency Foundation. “Many individuals with PI depend on life-saving plasma-derived medicines that cannot be manufactured synthetically and can only be produced through the generosity of human donors. It is my hope that this survey and International Plasma Awareness Week will shine a much-needed spotlight on the critical, ongoing need for plasma donation and help raise awareness of these often-overlooked immune system disorders.”

For more on the survey and its findings, please reach out to media@pptaglobal.org. PPTA encourages all healthy adults over the age of 18 to consider giving the gift of life through plasma donation. Visit www.pptaglobal.org/donate to learn more and find a donation center near you. 

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Before donating plasma, donors have their vitals checked, including blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, hemoglobin and weight as well as fill out a questionnaire to make sure they're fit to donate. 

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Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association

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About the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association

The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) is a dynamic trade association that represents a unique sector of the biologics and biotechnology industry. PPTA represents more than 1,000 human plasma collection centers in North America and Europe, as well as the manufacturers of lifesaving plasma protein therapies. Our members produce approximately 80% of the plasma protein therapies in the US and 60% of those manufactured in Europe. Learn more at www.pptaglobal.org. 

 

Crop breeding can cut methane emissions without sacrificing yield

Global synthesis finds methane emissions, but not nitrous oxide, vary significantly with genetic variance in crops

University of Warwick

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Genetic selection could help farmers and breeders reduce greenhouse gases from crops, particularly in rice cultivation, research by the University of Warwick and Cranfield University shows. 

The intensification of farming to meet global food demand has made agriculture one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While practices such as nitrogen fertiliser use are known to drive nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, crop varieties themselves also influence emissions. Until now, it has not been clear which varieties best balance high yields with lower GHG release. 

A new study, published in Frontiers in Agronomy, has performed the first comparison of crop variety impacts on GHGs on a global scale. The analysis shows that the choice of crop variety (specifically rice) has a greater effect on methane (CH₄) emissions than fertiliser management – a critical finding given the importance of rice in global food supply. 

Conor Walthall, Research Associate, University of Warwick said, “This study looked across wheat, maize, canola, soybean, and especially rice. Rice is the staple food for more than half the world’s population, but rice paddies account for over 10% of global methane emissions – a greenhouse gas over 25 times more potent than CO₂. By selecting rice genotypes with lower methane emissions, without reducing yields, we can both increase food security and reduce agriculture’s climate impact.” 

By analysing 180 crop genotypes from trials around the world, researchers discovered: 

• Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions are closely tied to nitrogen fertiliser inputs, regardless of genetic variety. 

• Methane (CH₄) emissions, by contrast, are strongly influenced by genotype, highlighting selective breeding as a key strategy for reduction. 

• Yields also depend heavily on genotype, indicating opportunities to selectively breed to align productivity with sustainability. 

Crop traits such as root structure, nitrogen-use efficiency, and soil interactions all influence GHG emissions and can be selectively bred. The findings suggest that while fertiliser management remains essential, breeding programmes should prioritise genetic traits that reduce methane emissions. 

Senior author, Dr Alice Johnston, Lecturer in Environmental Data Science at Cranfield University, who supervised Conor as a PhD student at Cranfield, added: “Our analysis shows that genetics play a key role in methane emissions in rice, offering new opportunities to align breeding with climate goals. Breeding can help, but we also need more field trials measuring genotype impacts on GHGs in real-world farming conditions and a range of crop types to ensure gains translate to practice.” 

This is the first global synthesis to separate the effects of genotype and fertiliser on crop GHG emissions. The authors argue that plant genetics must be integrated into future greenhouse gas reduction strategies in agriculture. 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors 

The paper – “A global synthesis of genotypic variation in crop greenhouse gas emissions under variable nitrogen fertilisation” is published in Frontiers Agronomy, DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2025.1669002 

For more information please contact:  

Matt Higgs, PhD | Media & Communications Officer (Press Office) 

Email: Matt.Higgs@warwick.ac.uk | Phone: +44(0)7880 175403 

About the University of Warwick 

Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment and challenge convention to create a better world. 

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Journal

Frontiers in Agronomy

TWO

10.3389/fagro.2025.1669002/full 

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

A global synthesis of genotypic variation in crop greenhouse gas emissions under variable nitrogen fertilisation

Establishing a new global standard for precision medicine in sepsis and critical care

A University of Malta research lab is at the forefront of a major international breakthrough that could change how critically ill patients are treated in Malta’s hospitals

University of Malta

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Translational Immunology Team at University of Malta

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Credit: Department of Applied Biomedical Sciences, UM

A University of Malta researcher, Dr Brendon Scicluna of the Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, designed and spearheaded one of the studies and made significant contributions to the second, placing the University at the forefront of the global effort to bring precision medicine to the sickest patients in our hospitals.

For decades, developing new treatments for critical illnesses like sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and trauma has been hampered by a major challenge, that is, although treated as single conditions, every patient's body responds differently. This biological diversity, known as heterogeneity, has been a primary barrier to progress.  The two new studies tackle this problem head-on, providing a robust, unified way to classify patients into distinct cellular biological subtypes.

The first study, "A consensus blood transcriptomic framework for sepsis," led by Dr Scicluna, aggregated data from over 1,800 sepsis patients. Using a technique called blood transcriptomics, which measures the activity of thousands of genes to create a real-time snapshot of a patient's immune response, the team created a single, harmonized classification system. It identifies three "Consensus Transcriptomic Subtypes" (CTSs) of sepsis, each with a unique molecular signature:

• CTS1: A classic, strong inflammatory response driven by an aggressive but immature neutrophil attack.
• CTS2: Characterised by disturbances in blood clotting and the processing of heme, a key component of red blood cells.
• CTS3: Associated with a unique immune state involving antiviral interferon signals and features typically seen in organ transplant rejection.

"Our goal was to create a standardised model for sepsis research," explains Dr Scicluna, a Principal Investigator and resident academic at UM. "We've unified years of research into one robust molecular framework that everyone can use. This provides the common language we desperately needed to make real progress in the field."

Crucially, the study delivered a stark warning. A reanalysis of a major randomized controlled trial revealed that patients assigned to the CTS2 subtype were actually harmed by corticosteroids, a common anti-inflammatory treatment for sepsis and other immune-related disorders. This finding underscores the urgent need to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.

The second study, "A consensus immune dysregulation framework for sepsis and critical illnesses," from the international SUBSPACE consortium to which Dr Scicluna contributed, complements this work perfectly. Analysing over 7,000 patient samples from 37 cohorts, this study identified two core patterns of immune dysregulation, one in myeloid cells (the immune system's first responders) and one in lymphoid cells (responsible for targeted immunity). Remarkably, the study found this same fundamental dysregulation was present not only in sepsis but also in patients with ARDS, trauma, and burns, suggesting shared biological mechanisms across multiple forms of critical illness.

"Seeing these two studies published side-by-side is a landmark moment," states Dr Scicluna. "They are a synergy. Together, they provide undeniable evidence that this multidisciplinary data-driven approach is the future of critical care."

The complementary findings from these two extensive studies offer a powerful new framework for understanding critical illness and, for the first time, provide a clear path forward for designing clinical trials that can finally deliver on the promise of precision medicine for the most vulnerable patients in the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU).

“These studies are a powerful example of what happens when you combine clinical expertise with immunobiology and molecular profiling" concludes Dr Scicluna. 

Dr Brendon Scicluna is a Principal Investigator leading the Translational Immunology and Infection lab at the University of Malta.

The research described in these publications was supported by funding from the European Society for Intensive Care Medicine, a University of Malta Research Excellence Award, and multiple grants from the Xjenza Malta Research Excellence Program. The work also received foundational support from the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine in the Netherlands.

Papers cited in this article:

A consensus blood transcriptomic framework for sepsis | Nature Medicine

A consensus immune dysregulation framework for sepsis and critical illnesses | Nature Medicine

"The work doesn't stop here. Our lab at the University of Malta is already pushing forward alongside our colleagues at Mater Dei Hospital's ITU and Saint Vincent de Paul long-term care facility. We are now focused on the next crucial step, that is, deciphering the specific mechanisms of these disease subtypes to identify new treatment targets and improve patient outcomes. I'm proud to be surrounded by such an enthusiastic team.”

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Journal

Nature Medicine

TWO

10.1038/s41591-025-03964-5 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

A consensus blood transcriptomic framework for sepsis