Synthetic glycolipid modification of red blood cell membranes

BACKGROUND: Glycolipids have a natural ability to insert into red cell (RBC) membranes. Based on this concept the serology of RBCs modified with synthetic analogs of blood group glycolipids (KODE technology) was developed, which entails making synthetic glycolipid constructs engineered to have specific performance criteria. Such synthetic constructs can be made to express a potentially unlimited range of carbohydrate blood group determinants. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Synthetic constructs incorporating A, B, acquired-B, and Le(a) blood group determinants were constructed and used to modify RBCs. Modified cells were assessed by routine serologic methods using a range of commercially available monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: RBCs modified with different concentrations of synthetic glycolipids were able to give controllable serologic results. Synthetic A and B modified cells were able to be created to represent the serology of "weak" subgroups. Specialized cells such as those bearing synthetic acquired-B antigen reacted as expected, but also exhibited extended features due to the cells bearing only specific antigen. Synthetic Le(a)-modified cells reacted as expected with anti-Le(a) reagents, but unexpectedly, were also able to detect the chemical anti-Le(ab) specificity of serologic monoclonal anti-Le(b) reagents. CONCLUSION: RBCs can be created to express normal and novel carbohydrate profiles by inserting synthetic glycolipids into them. Such cells will be useful in creating specialized antigen panels and for quality control purposes.