New method could dramatically increase transfusion blood supply,
researchers say.
Using human stem cells, scientists have developed methods to boost the
production of red blood cells, according to a new study.
Their discovery could
significantly increase the blood supply needed for blood transfusions, the
researchers said, and their methods can be used to produce any blood type.
"Being able to produce red
blood cells from stem cells has the potential to overcome many difficulties of
the current system, including sporadic shortages," Dr. Anthony Atala,
editor of the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, in which the study
appeared, said in a journal news release.
"This team has made a
significant contribution to scientists' quest to produce red blood cells in the
lab," said Atala, who is also director of the Wake Forest Institute for
Regenerative Medicine.
How does the new process work?
"We combined different
cell-expansion protocols into a 'cocktail' that increased the number of cells
we could produce by 10- to 100-fold," said researcher Eric Bouhassira, of
the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
Currently, the blood needed for
life-saving transfusions is obtained only through donations. As a result, blood
can be in short supply, particularly for those with rare blood types. The
researchers produced a higher yield of red blood cells by using stem cells from
cord blood and circulating blood as well as embryonic stem cells, according to
the release.
"The ability of scientists
to grow large quantities of red blood cells at an industrial scale could
revolutionize the field of transfusion medicine," Bouhassira said.
"Collecting blood through a donation-based system is serving us well but
it is expensive, vulnerable to disruption and insufficient to meet the needs of
some people who need ongoing transfusions. This could be a viable long-term
alternative."
The study, which appeared online
Aug. 2, was partially supported by the funding agency of the New York State
Empire Stem Cell Board.
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