A new method for producing blood on a mass scale has been developed
Behind the new blood production technique are researchers from the University of Bristol and the National Health Service Blood and Transplant. They presented a method for producing a potentially unlimited amount of artificial blood. The technique can be a particular lnie useful in helping people with very rare blood types.
Blood is produced primarily by the bone marrow and, as recent studies have confirmed, in the lungs. You can read about it in the text Discovered a hitherto unknown role of the lungs in blood formation.
The new technique uses a slightly different method from those used to date for producing blood. The existing solution is to transform the com bone marrow stem cells in the com blood cells. However, the com blood cells can only divide a certain number of times, but British scientists have found a way b to divide indefinitely.
– Artificial blood has advantages over that collected from blood donors in, as it reduces the risk of disease transmission b infectious – said Dr. Jan Frayne of the University of Bristol. The researcher added that the new method has so far produced several liters of in blood.
The technique is currently very expensive, but if laboratory technology is adapted for mass production, its price could drop significantly.
New method has potential to save many lives. Currently, by the way, this situation has been going on for years, the demand for blood far exceeds its supply. Every now and then one hears appeals asking holders of certain blood types to go to a blood donation station.
– The patients, who ers who are likely to benefit most from the new method are those with rare blood types in urgent need, who he treatment of which may require multiple transfusions of well-matched blood – said Professor David Anstee of the National Health Service Blood and Transplant. The scientist added that blood produced in the laboratory is not a substitute for that collected from a donor, and is expected to complement it.
Clinical trials involving scientifically produced in blood are scheduled to begin later this year. This means that to og The use of such blood may come in a few years.
