An international team of academic and industry scientists has come up with a feasible way of making universal red blood cells that are stripped of their blood type. The hope is that it can be developed into a viable way of relieving blood bank shortages.
Compatibility of blood group is a bit complicated and depends on who is giving and who is receiving. If a person receives blood of a type that is not compatible with their own, there is a risk their immune system will attack it, destroying the red blood cells, producing kidney failure, and the person could die.
People with blood type “O” are considered universal donors, able to give blood to people from all other blood types, but it’s only normal that blood banks and hospitals sometimes run short of this type of blood, plus it’s not always easy to find blood of the needed type, so it’s great that this new discovery has come along to avoid this problem and help save more people’s lives.
The team’s next step is to start clinical trials to test the method’s treatment safety and efficiency. I hope all goes well and that this method is spread all over the world to save life.
[Source: Medical News Today]