Middle-class Americans are selling their plasma to make ends meet | NBC News12 Feb 2026https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/americans-sell-plasma-inflation-middle-class-expenses-economy-rcna258390

Lots of discussion on social media about this story.

I'd like to post a bit on it, but need to get going today.

For some reason plasma donation is a topic that interests me a lot (some topics just do).

Just briefly -

- Immediately after plasma donation there is reduced immunity due to loss of antibodies. So I would be careful about exposures to infectious diseases. 2x/wk seems risky to me, tbh. Wear a mask, stay hydrated, get enough protein & sleep.

- On the plus side, it can reduce PFAS burden.

- The tubing used is probably the same as dialysis tubing, which is made of viscose and can contain residual sulfane sulfur.* I have wondered if this has any effects, ether +ve or -ve. Dialysis patients have higher cancer risk, but this could just be due to having poorly functioning kidneys.

- It isn't mentioned in the article, but is there increased demand for plasma products, particularly IVIG? A few years ago, Gordan Lauc talked about working on 'IVIG in a pill". That would be amazing. Have not heard anything since, but often there is a period of silence when products are in development.

* https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules190812789

The Differential Value Of Plasma-derived Medicinal Products (PDMPs) | Grifols
[2024]
https://www.grifols.com/documents/6155530/7244385/differential-value-plasma-derivatives-products-PDMPs.pdf/d85a38c2-25de-333a-7507-5bb8f6431fe4?t=1738165180846

"The demand for immunoglobulins in Europe grew by 6.7% annually during the period 2010-2021. The main drivers for this are the ongoing research into new applications, particularly in neurology, and advances in testing and screening programs."

#PlasmaDonation #PlasmaProducts #immunoglobins #Pharmaceuticals #medicine