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Synthetic blood from stem cells
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[edit] Why should I be aware of this?
- This will revolutionize the vital blood transfusion services and help save a large number of lives, from the victims of traffic accidents to soldiers on a battlefield. Such services will also help do away with the dependence on a network of human donors to provide a constant supply of fresh blood.
- It will, however take years to scale up the production and move the science from the lab to the bedside. According to the researchers, a realistic treatment is probably five to 10 years away. [1]
[edit] All about synthetic blood from stem cells
The researchers will test human embryos left over from IVF treatment to find those that are genetically programmed to develop into the “O-negative” blood group, which is the universal donor group whose blood can be transfused into anyone without fear of tissue rejection. [2]
The rare O-negative blood group, which only 7% of the population has, can now be produced in unlimited quantities from embryonic stem cells because of their ability to multiply indefinitely in the laboratory.
The researchers are aiming to stimulate embryonic stem cells to develop into mature, oxygen-carrying red blood cells for emergency transfusions. Such blood would have the benefit of not being at risk of being infected with viruses like HIV and hepatitis, or the human form of mad cow disease.
[edit] Research in other countries
Scientists in other countries, mainly Sweden, France and Australia, are also known to be working on developing synthetic blood from embryonic stem cells.
Last year, a team from a US biotechnology company, Advanced Cell Technology, announced that it has been able to produce billions of functioning red blood cells from embryonic stem cells. But the then ban on embryonic stem cell work under the Bush administration held up their work. The policy has since been reversed by President Barack Obama.
[edit] Earlier efforts
Creating synthetic blood has been a difficult process. Decades of efforts have so far produced products focusing on the critical function that blood plays in transporting oxygen. Other products, however, have been abandoned when they either didn't work, or proved to have dangerous or deadly side effects.
Blood created by stem cells is very similar to the real thing, and may avoid the pitfalls with other, more artificial techniques
[edit] 90 degrees
However, ethical question bogging the stem-cell research issue is likely to be raised again on developing blood made from the cells of spare IVF embryos. . It also raises the intriguing philosophical question of whether the synthetic blood will have come from someone who never existed.
In theory, just one embryo could meet the nation's needs. [2]
[edit] References:
- Synthetic blood from stem cells likely in 3 yrs
- British scientists to create 'synthetic' blood
- Synthetic Blood From Stem Cells?
