Together with the donor, for a better life for the patient
Every day, we dedicate ourselves to helping patients. Thanks to our donors, 100,000 patients each year get another chance at life. We ensure the blood supply in the Netherlands, conduct internationally leading research, and provide education. And we love doing that together with you.
Blood supply
Life-saving blood products
Blood transfusions are essential for patients undergoing chemotherapy, major surgeries, blood loss during childbirth and accidents, and for blood disorders such as sickle cell disease. Sanquin is responsible for collecting and processing blood and plasma, and supplies hospitals with red blood cells, platelets, and plasma
Plasma medicines
Unique material, indispensable medicines
Sanquin is responsible for collecting plasma, which is the raw material for medicines used to treat around 100 different, often rare, diseases like immune deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, or blood clotting disorders. Without plasma donors, patients would remain chronically ill or even die. Sanquin does not produce these plasma medicines itself but collaborates with a pharmaceutical company that processes the plasma and manufactures medicines for Dutch patients.
Education and information
For students, PhD candidates, and healthcare
We provide lab kits for biology classes and developed a fun and informative game in Minecraft. We also train our staff and offer training and continuing education for healthcare professionals. This helps keep knowledge up to date. Furthermore, Sanquin facilitates internships and PhD programs and contributes to university education through its professors.
Research
Cultured blood and blood cells against cancer
If it doesn’t exist, we’ll create it. For patients with blood disorders for whom no suitable blood products or stem cells are available, we aim to produce or repair these products in the lab. We also develop new medicines from the blood cells of patients and donors to fight cancer or autoimmune diseases. Together, we are working on the blood supply of the future.
Diagnostics
Highly specialized tests for healthcare
Our laboratories specialize in complex diagnostics in the fields of immunology and molecular diagnostics, immunohematology, and blood testing for transfusion medicine. We also have extensive expertise in large-scale testing of blood donations.
