As the scientific discoveries continue to surprise us, they’re bringing new ways to make our lives easier, and some – like the universal artificial blood that scientists are now testing to put an end to lengthy blood type matching – aim to save quite a few lives as well.
Indeed, clinical trials with volunteers have begun in Japan to explore the use of universal artificial blood, under the guidance of Professor Hiromi Sakai, whose team is analyzing artificial blood, usable for all blood types and storable for up to two years, according to a recent report by Newsweek.
How universal artificial blood works
Specifically, the researchers have created the blood by extracting hemoglobin from expired donor blood and encapsulating it in a lipid shell, thus creating hemoglobin vesicles that mimic natural red blood cells and can carry oxygen. As they don’t have any blood type markers, they’re universally compatible and virus-free.
Notably, the trial at the Nara Medical University, which started in March, involves administering 100 to 400 milliliters of the artificial blood to 16 healthy adult volunteers, and its next stage will examine the treatment’s efficiency and safety if there are no side effects.
The researchers are hoping that this artificial blood will become a viable solution to critical shortages in blood supplies for emergency and chronic health care around the world, as the World Health Organization estimates that 40% of all blood donations each year arrive from high-income countries.
Taking this fact into account, it means that the majority of the world’s population, about 84% of it, has limited access to blood transfusion treatment, contributing to preventable deaths in injury, surgery, and childbirth – all of which universal artificial blood could reduce.
On top of that, it would help solve problems in the traditional blood transfusion system, like the “possibility of infection, blood type mismatching, immunological response, and short shelf life which is insufficient for stockpiling for emergency situations.”
Meanwhile, in other blood-related news, Chinese researchers have invented a device that separates plasma from blood without using electricity and at 99.9% efficiency, with potentially broad application in point-of-care testing and medical emergencies where traditional centrifuges can’t work.
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