{"id":325963,"date":"2025-10-23T08:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T08:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/325963\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T08:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T08:00:10","slug":"first-cell-therapy-collection-vehicle-opens-in-san-antonio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/325963\/","title":{"rendered":"First cell therapy collection vehicle opens in San Antonio"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 The world\u2019s only cell therapy collection vehicle opened in San Antonio and recorded its first donation on Monday, according to a news release.<\/p>\n

The BBG Advanced Therapies leukapheresis vehicle serves a 63,000-square-mile area in South Texas that currently underserves advanced therapies, the release states.<\/p>\n

The mobile unit collects white blood cells from donors and patients through a process that returns other blood components to the donor. The immune cells are used to develop personalized therapies for blood cancers, solid tumors, autoimmune diseases and more, the release states.<\/p>\n

The vehicle, a subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, features two cell collection stations and a testing laboratory. The unit is also equipped with a wheelchair lift, and a lavatory for patient comfort and accessibility.<\/p>\n

The first donor was Simon Hart, a 32-year-old Air Force veteran and kinesiology student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the release states. Hart has donated blood since he was 16 years old, and dedicates his donations to honor his father, who died of cancer earlier this year.<\/p>\n

The mobile center is staffed by experienced members of the BBG Advanced Therapies apheresis team, according to the release. BioBridge Global has operated an on-site cell collection center for more than 15 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like our blood bus in 1974 brought donation opportunities into the community, this vehicle brings cell collections directly to patients,\u201d said Adrienne Mendoza, chief operating officer of BBG Advanced Therapies. \u201cThis makes what was once limited to special centers accessible to everyone everywhere.<\/p>\n

Anyone interested in becoming a potential cell donor can register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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