Comparison of Novel Whole Blood Preservation Methods as Alternatives to Cryopreserved PBMC for Immunophenotyping in Multicenter Clinical Trials

This study evaluated three whole blood preservation products—CryoStor CS10, Cytodelics, and Smart Tube Proteomic Stabilization Buffer—as alternatives to cryopreserved PBMC for immunophenotyping in multicenter clinical trials. Using a 26-color spectral flow cytometry panel, samples from healthy donors were analyzed after storage to assess variability and resolution compared to PBMC controls. CryoStor CS10 demonstrated the most consistent performance, making it the preferred option, while Cytodelics and Smart Tube may require antibody re-titration due to fixatives. Findings highlight CryoStor CS10’s potential to simplify logistics without compromising data quality and underscore the importance of multi-donor feasibility testing.