Our Blood Institute is expanding what’s possible with every donation. With the addition of a new cleanroom facility, donated blood can now support cutting-edge therapies, helping bring advanced treatments closer to home for Oklahoma patients.
Big things are happening inside Our Blood Institute and they’re not just about blood donation.
Recently, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice visited OBI for a behind-the-scenes look at our new cleanroom facility, a space that represents the future of medicine right here in Oklahoma City.
This isn’t just another lab. It’s where lifesaving science meets real-world impact.
During the visit, Bice, OBI leadership, scientists and partners from OU Health walked through the cleanroom’s capabilities and what it means for patients. At its core, this space allows us to take what donors give and use it in entirely new ways.
“This is about building the infrastructure needed to support cutting edge cell therapies here in Oklahoma,” said Charles Mooney, vice president of Research and BioDevelopment at OBI. “The cleanroom also allows us to translate work we’ve been developing into reliable processes that can then support large scale manufacturing needed for emerging blockbuster cures.”
That means moving beyond traditional transfusions and into advanced treatments like CAR T-cell therapy, a highly specialized treatment that uses a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer.
Blood donation has always been about helping patients in critical moments. But now, it’s also opening the door to the next generation of care.
Through specialized collection and processing, components from donated blood can be used in new therapies that weren’t possible just a few years ago. OBI researchers have even developed ways to use parts of donations that previously went unused, making every donation go further.
It’s a shift that expands what it means to give blood. It’s not just about today’s patients. It’s about future breakthroughs.
The cleanroom facility was made possible through federal funding awarded in 2024 with support from U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice, with construction completed in late 2025.
“Serving on the Appropriations Committee gives me the ability to direct funds back to Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District,” Bice said. “I was thrilled to visit Our Blood Institute and see how they are utilizing these important dollars.”
With this investment, Oklahoma is now positioned to support cell therapy manufacturing, including CAR T-cell therapies that have never been produced in the state before. That means greater access to advanced cancer treatments closer to home.
“This is an important step forward for patients in Oklahoma as we harness the power of world class science to save lives,” said Dr. John Armitage, president and CEO of OBI.
