Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center
Office of Public Affairs
Media Contact: Vanessa Wasta or Valerie Mehl
410-955-1287; wastava@jhmi.edu or mehlva@jhmi.edu
August 29, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LASER BLASTS VIRUSES IN BLOOD

A father-son research team working from separate laboratory benches across the country has discovered a new use for lasers — zapping viruses out of blood. The technique, which holds promise for disinfecting blood for transfusions, uses a low-power laser beam with a pulse lasting just fractions of a second.