PRP has become firmly established in regenerative medicine, with applications ranging from aesthetic medicine and dermatology to hair restoration, orthopaedics and wound healing. Despite the large and growing body of scientific literature, one issue remains central: the term PRP currently encompasses biologically very different products.
This is the starting point for my new paper, The Biological PRP Standard (BPS): An Evidence-Based Framework for the Standardization of Platelet-Rich Plasma, published in the International Journal of Clinical Studies & Medical Case Reports. The aim is not to introduce a new preparation protocol or compare proprietary commercial systems, but to define the biological characteristics that a standardized PRP product should possess, independently of the preparation device used.
The issue is not the kit, but the final product
Over the years, we have seen a growing number of systems for PRP preparation. The risk, however, is to identify the therapeutic product with the device used to prepare it.
From a biological perspective, the preparation device is the instrument. The platelet concentrate is the therapeutic product.
For this reason, I proposed the Biological PRP Standard, a framework that shifts the focus from commercial technology to the measurable characteristics of the final platelet concentrate. A BPS-compliant PRP should preserve platelet integrity, achieve approximately a two-fold increase in platelet concentration over baseline whole blood, effectively eliminate erythrocytes, maintain minimal leukocyte contamination whenever clinically appropriate, ensure high plasma purity, and maintain complete sterility throughout preparation and administration.
Three levels of standardization
The BPS integrates three dimensions that I consider fundamental: biological, technical, and clinical standardization.
Biological standardization defines the essential characteristics of the platelet concentrate. Technical standardization establishes the minimum requirements that a preparation system should fulfil in order to obtain that product safely, consistently, and reproducibly. Clinical standardization addresses patient selection, treatment protocols, platelet activation when clinically indicated, treatment scheduling, outcome assessment, follow-up, and scientific reporting.
This approach is also based on my clinical experience with standardized PRP protocols developed and applied for more than fifteen years. The objective is not to make PRP application identical across different medical specialties, but to ensure that the biological starting product has defined and reproducible characteristics. Its administration can then be adapted to the specific indication, target tissue, and clinical objective.
Towards a common language for PRP
I believe this distinction is also important for research. Studies reporting the use of “PRP” may in fact investigate concentrates with substantially different platelet concentrations, cellular composition, plasma purity, activation methods, and preparation protocols. This makes results difficult to compare and limits the development of robust evidence.
The Biological PRP Standard therefore aims to provide a common scientific language: not to standardize commercial preparation systems, but to standardize the biological quality of the therapeutic product.
I believe this represents a necessary step towards making PRP more reproducible, more comparable, and increasingly integrated into evidence-based regenerative medicine.
Read the full paper: https://ijclinmedcasereports.com/pdf/IJCMCR-RA-01505.pdf
The Biological PRP Standard (BPS): An Evidence-Based Framework for the Standardization of Platelet-Rich Plasma
International Journal of Clinical Studies & Medical Case Reports, 2026; 61(1):005.
DOI: 10.46998/IJCMCR.2026.61.001505.